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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. In contrast to her brothers' bar mitzvahs, Klara's bat mitzvah takes place not individually but in a group of how many girls?

2. What is NOT one way in which Simon describes his father Saul?

3. Where is Klara performing when Simon sees her act for the first time?

4. When Klara researches her grandmother Klara Kline, what is NOT one of the things she finds out?

5. What do the Gold siblings bring to the fortune teller as payment for her services?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Robert's reaction to the AIDS epidemic and how does it differ from Simon's?

2. What is the symbolism of the sequins that turn up everywhere inside Klara's home?

3. How does Robert's story about his friend Dante demonstrate the themes of violence and hate?

4. What differences between Robert and Simon does the author depict as those that drive Simon to cheat on Robert?

5. When the narrator reveals that Raj has "big plans" (113) for overhauling Klara's act, what kind of changes does the narrator depict?

6. How is the theme of guilt depicted within Gertie's feelings about her son after his death?

7. What evidence does the author provide for the claim that the Gold children in 1969 "are siblings, this summer, in a way they never will be again" (4)?

8. How many years pass between the first knock Klara believes Simon is using to communicate with her from the afterlife and the second knock she hears?

9. Compare Varya's ideas about fortune telling with Ruby Singh's.

10. What aspects of Robert's character are depicted as those that make him "stand out" (59) to Simon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the function of Klara's character within the novel? Discuss the characterization methods used by the author in depicting Klara and include in your discussion the reasons that the author portrays her in these particular ways.

Essay Topic 2

Trace the characterization arc of Varya’s character throughout the novel. Discuss whether she is a round or flat character and whether she is a static or dynamic character.

Essay Topic 3

How do the themes of deception and secrecy function within the novel and what is the author's message regarding these themes?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,346 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample