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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 is the name of Andy Barbour’s brother whose room Theo stays in after his mother’s death?

2. What is Hobie’s full name?

3. Where does the narrator describe locking himself in his hotel room for over a week in the beginning of Chapter 1: “Boy with a Skull”?

4. How frequently does Theo say he has to see the state-assigned therapist after his mother’s death in Chapter 4: “Morphine Lollipop”?

5. Where did Theo’s mother live by Annette, the fireman’s widow?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Theo come to be in possession of the ring and painting in Chapter 1: “Boy with a Skull”?

2. What is Theo’s principle internal conflict in Chapter 4: “Morphine Lollipop”?

3. Where is Pippa being taken in Chapter 4: “Morphine Lollipop”? Why? How does Pippa feel about her circumstances?

4. How does Theo describe the sexual undertones of his friendship with Boris in Chapter 6: “Wind, Sand and Stars”?

5. Why does Theo’s father make Theo call his mother’s lawyer in Chapter 6: “Wind, Sand and Stars”? What does Theo learn during the call?

6. What do Theo and Hobie discuss on Theo’s first visit in Chapter 4: “Morphine Lollipop”?

7. Where does Theo meet Hobie in Chapter 3: “Park Avenue”?

8. What themes are central in Chapter 5: “Badr al-Dine”? How are these themes illuminated?

9. What obstacle appears in Theo’s and Boris’s friendship in Chapter 6: “Wind, Sand and Stars”?

10. How does the narrator describe his mother in Chapter 1: “Boy with a Skull”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Audrey Decker (Theo’s mother) in The Goldfinch. How does Theo feel about his mother? What is their relationship like? Why is Theo in trouble on the day that his mother dies? How does Theo describe his mother’s past?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of James Hobart in the novel. How old is Hobie when Theo meets him? What was Hobie’s relationship to Welty? How does Hobie differ from the other adult characters that Theo has encountered since his mother’s death?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the characters of Mrs. Barbour, Platt, and Kitsey when they are reintroduced in Chapter 9. How have each of these characters changed since Theo last saw them? How has Theo changed? What new relationships does Theo form with the Barbour family at this point?

(see the answer keys)

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