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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 are Nico and Fiona related?

2. With whom does Fiona plan to stay while looking for her family member?

3. How many miles away from the wake are most of Nico's family members congregating?

4. In what year does the narrative of the The Great Believers begin its story?

5. In 1985, who drives to Wisconsin?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is ironic about the location at which Yale meets Charlie?

2. How does the dream motif arise early in Fiona's time in Paris?

3. Who serves as Terrence's power of attorney near the end of his life?

4. In what way had Fiona spend her twentieth birthday and how had it contrasted with her twenty-first birthday?

5. What is the source of Yale's fear of being tricked?

6. What event is taking place 20 miles away while the wake takes place and who is attending that event?

7. What is the symbolism of Nico's orange scarf?

8. What information does Fiona report to Yale about her family's cleaning out of Nico's place and how does Yale react?

9. What step must first be taken before art can be donated?

10. What task does Arnaud say will "take a couple of days" (133)?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of The Great Believers and one of the novel's main messages. How does Makkai make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help to get across one main message of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

What message does Makkai send within the pages of The Great Believers concerning the definition of family?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze The Great Believers from an Existential perspective. What elements of life does it suggest hold the most meaning and why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 828 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample