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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. How many pages is "Higher Education"?

2. Who does Nathan try to write a letter to in Lonoff's study?

3. How old is the narrator at the beginning of Chapter 1?

4. How many times does Nathan read "The Middle Years"?

5. In the quote in Lonoff's study, "the rest is the madness of" what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is one of the most admirable things about Lonoff for Zuckerman?

2. Why does Zuckerman begin writing a letter to his father as he sits in Lonoff's study?

3. How does Zuckerman convince Lonoff to meet with him?

4. What is surprising to Zuckerman about the typewriter in Lonoff's study?

5. Describe the Zuckerman family's typical Sunday brunch.

6. Why is Zuckerman skeptical of the party-goers' analysis of Lonoff?

7. What does Zuckerman's first reading of Lonoff's work show him about his own life?

8. Why does Zuckerman's father say everyone stopped by on the Sunday Zuckerman was home before leaving for Quahsay?

9. Describe the man Nathan Zuckerman meets in the beginning of Chapter 1.

10. What is Zuckerman carrying in his briefcase that he takes to Lonoff's house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Roth, a Jewish writer, also uses Jewish characters in his story. Those characters, in turn, reference other Jews and Jewish traditions and beliefs. Write a response exploring the importance of Zuckerman's repeated references to Anne Frank in light of being Jewish. Use specific references to the story in the response.

Essay Topic 2

"The Ghost Writer" is the first in Roth's series of Zuckerman books. Write a response explaining how this book sets up and prepares the reader for the res of the books in the Zuckerman series. What happens in this book that might foreshadow future books' events? How does Roth prepare the reader to continue Zuckerman's story in subsequent books? Use specific references to the text in the response.

Essay Topic 3

Write a response exploring the meaning of the book's title, "The Ghost Writer." Who is the "ghost writer"? Why is this title appropriate for the book? What does the title tell the reader the book might be about? What does the title mean? Would a different title be more appropriate for the story? Use specific references to the story in the response.

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