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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 did Lonoff used to look at the mail?

2. Why does Nathan want to stay after Lonoff leaves the room in Chapter 4?

3. Who is Miss Giddings?

4. What disease did most people in the camps die of, according to Amy?

5. How long did it take the family to be transported to Auschwitz?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Zuckerman imagine saying to his family as he sits at breakfast with Amy and the Lonoffs?

2. What does Amy do after leaving the dentist's office where she found the "Time" article?

3. How does Amy find out about her father, according to the story in Chapter 3?

4. Zuckerman notices that Lonoff has also changed at breakfast. To what does Zuckerman attribute the change in Lonoff and Hope?

5. What does Amy do when she receives the copy of the book?

6. What does Zuckerman notice has happened to Hope at breakfast the next morning?

7. Why does Hope storm out of the kitchen in Chapter 4?

8. To whom does Zuckerman compare Anne Frank when he is talking to Amy in Chapter 4?

9. According to the story in Chapter 3, why does Amy take a new name?

10. How does the diary come to be published?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Philip Roth is a Jewish writer, and many of his books focus on the treatment and conditions of Jews in America. "The Ghost Writer" is no exception to this topic. Write a response exploring how Roth views the treatment and status of Jews through "The Ghost Writer." How are Jews portrayed in the book? How does the portrayal reflect Roth's own beliefs and interpretation of the treatment of Jews? Use specific references to the text in the response.

Essay Topic 2

Philip Roth tends to use some of his characters as alter egos of himself. Explore Roth's use of characters in "The Ghost Writer" as alter egos. Who is Roth's alter ego in the story? Can more than one character serve as an alter ego? How do the characters become alter egos? Use specific examples from the story in the response.

Essay Topic 3

In "The Ghost Writer," Roth explores the idea of an author's responsibility to his subjects and characters. Write a response exploring how this idea of responsibility is portrayed in the story. How does Roth connect this idea to the characters in the story? How is Roth responsible for the subjects and characters in the story? How are the writers in the story responsible for their own subjects and characters? Use specific references to the text in the response.

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