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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. Part V of The Goldfinch opens with the following quotation: “We have art in order not to die from the truth.” Who is attributed to this quote?

2. Hobie invites Theo to go for dinner at “the Local” with him and whom in Chapter 8: “The Shop-Behind-the-Shop, continued”?

3. Who is the thug that takes the painting from Boris after he and Theo have stolen it back in Chapter 11: “The Gentleman’s Canal”?

4. What is the name of Tom Cable’s sister that Platt Barbour once dated?

5. Who is Mrs. Barbour’s friend that gave her the dogs after the death of her husband and Andy?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Theo do once he returns to his hotel in Chapter 11: “The Gentleman’s Canal”? Why is this a significant part of the story?

2. What takes place when Theo meets with the art thieves in Chapter 11: “The Gentleman’s Canal”?

3. How does Theo describe his relationship with drugs in Chapter 9: “Everything of Possibility”?

4. How does Theo go about trying to contact Boris in Chapter 12: “The Rendezvous Point”? Is he successful?

5. What does Theo take with him when he departs Hobie’s shop in Chapter 11: “The Gentleman’s Canal”? What does he leave behind?

6. How does Theo describe his actions in the past year in the conclusion of Chapter 12: “The Rendezvous Point”? How is Theo’s outlook at the end of the novel?

7. How is Boris injured in Chapter 11: “The Gentleman’s Canal”? How do Boris and Theo escape?

8. What is foreshadowed by the conversation between Theo and Grisha in Chapter 8: “The Shop-Behind-the-Shop, continued”?

9. How does Theo’s mindset change once he has begun classes in Chapter 8: “The Shop-Behind-the-Shop, continued”?

10. Why does Theo study relentlessly in Chapter 7: “The Shop-Behind-the-Shop”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Theo Decker as the protagonist of The Goldfinch. How old is Theo’s character when his mother dies? How far in the future is Theo when he is in the Amsterdam hotel room? What characteristics does Theo display as a thirteen-year-old boy?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the setting of Hobie’s shop in the novel. How large is the shop? Where in the building does Hobie have his workshop set up? Where does Hobie live in relation to the store? What are Theo’s impressions of this setting?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the character of Andy Barbour in the novel. For how long has Theo known Andy? Why does Theo give the social workers Andy’s phone number when they ask him if he knows someone he might stay with? How do Andy and Theo differ as characters?

(see the answer keys)

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