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

2. What word from Chapter 11: “The Gentleman’s Canal” refers to excruciating distress or suffering?

3. What does Boris tell Theo he replaced the stolen painting with in the pillowcase in Chapter 10: “The Idiot”?

4. What percentage of the reward money does Boris say he gave to Dima and Anton each in Chapter 12: “The Rendezvous Point”?

5. What is the name of the boarding school that Pippa attends in Chapter 7: “The Shop-Behind-the-Shop”?

Short Essay Questions

1. When does Chapter 10: “The Idiot” begin? What obstacles is Theo facing in the beginning of the chapter?

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

3. What causes Theo’s anxiety about the painting to escalate in Chapter 7: “The Shop-Behind-the-Shop”?

4. What does Theo learn about Havistock Irving from Hobie in Chapter 10: “The Idiot”?

5. Where does Theo hide the museum painting in Chapter 8: “The Shop-Behind-the-Shop, continued”?

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 letters does Theo write in Chapter 12: “The Rendezvous Point”? Why?

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

10. What arrangements are made for Theo’s guardianship in Chapter 7: “The Shop-Behind-the-Shop”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Theo’s decision to hide the painting in an art storage facility in Manhattan. How much money does it cost for Theo to store the piece? Do you think that this is the wisest option for Theo? Why or why not?

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

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?

(see the answer keys)

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