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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When John and Erwin were at the hospital trying to find Albert, how often did John say that he went to see his father?

2. Where did John say that Cynthia Mellins was living in 1978?

3. What was the name of the bank Vik went to in Part 3, Chapter 20?

4. How much did Bonny Patel offer for men to search for Vik?

5. When did Albert take a ship to England and have an affair with a married woman?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Hazel like to pretend about her husband at the end of Part 3, Chapter 25?

2. At the end of Part 3, Chapter 23, why did John try to hide in the hospital lobby?

3. What had Erwin learned about people and stories throughout the years, and how did he feel about being their confidante?

4. Where did John Caldwell work in 1978, and what job did he really want?

5. What did John Caldwell do when Vik followed him after he left the YMCA?

6. How did Vik spend the day of the blizzard?

7. How did John's son die?

8. How did Manny remember that a man named Lieutenant Spitz died when he was in Vietnam?

9. Who did John and Erwin see in the lobby of the hospital when they arrived?

10. Who did Manny and Erwin see coming toward the apartment building in the storm?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

John’s son drowned in a swimming pool. Why do John and Albert blame themselves and feel guilty for the death of the boy?

Essay Topic 2

Imagery is a literary device authors use to describe something using the five senses to help readers experience what a character is experiencing. How does the author use imagery to help readers imagine the world he has created?

Essay Topic 3

Albert is 74 in most of the novel. How does old age affect Albert? Why does he think he is “lord of a crumbling manor” (181) because of old age?

(see the answer keys)

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