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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. What fascinates Renee about Kakuro?

2. What does Renee think people with good educations should do?

3. What happens in Chapter 16?

4. What do Paloma and Kakuro decide to do?

5. Why does Paloma prefer her aunt and uncle to her own parents?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Paloma want of Renee when she comes to Renee's door at eight?

2. How does Renee give herself away as far as her intelligence to the new tenant?

3. What does Renee think is wrong with Columbe's thesis and why?

4. Why does Paloma displease a teacher at her school?

5. What does Manuela tell Renee about Kakuro's apartment, and what is Renee's response?

6. Who wakes Renee at seven and what does Renee tell the person?

7. What does Renee think about art in Chapters 10 and 11?

8. What fight does Paloma describe between her mother and another woman?

9. Why is Manuela happy about the new tenant?

10. What does Renee do when a package comes for Columbe?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following:

1. Thoroughly analyze how the setting informs the plot in "The Elegance of the Hedgehog".

2. Trace and analyze one major theme of this book. How is the theme represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

3. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of "The Elegance of the Hedgehog". How are the themes represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

Essay Topic 3

"The Elegance of the Hedgehog" belongs to the novel genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the novel genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a novel and a historical novel?

(see the answer keys)

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