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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 message does Sabine get out of the dream she has?

2. What was the cause of Phan's death?

3. What do Sabine's parents advise her to do regarding Parsifal's parents?

4. What kind of relationship did Kitty once have with Guy when they were younger?

5. Why does Dot take Sabine to the hospital?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Parsifal's mother and why does she call Sabine?

2. Why does Sabine make the decision to visit the Fetters family?

3. How does The Magician's Assistant begin?

4. What does Sabine think of the cemetery where Parsifal and Phan are buried?

5. Why is lunch at the Magic Castle a bittersweet experience for Sabine?

6. What does Dot tell Sabine about Kitty's belief that Parsifal had a photo of Kitty in his room?

7. What does Kitty tell Sabine about how Parsifal killed his father?

8. What conclusion does Sabine come to regarding Parsifal's denial of any living family?

9. How does Sabine meet Parsifal's sister, Kitty?

10. Why did Parsifal leave home at an early age never to return?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of the women in the novel, specifically, how did Dot's life differ from that of Sabine's in the next generation? In what ways is Dot's life mirrored in Kitty's life? What roles do family, culture and experiences play in forming a woman's character and life story?

Essay Topic 2

Denial seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of denial? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the lives of the characters? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the role of the family in THE MAGICIAN'S ASSISTANT. What does it mean for each of the main characters? How does the family evolve in its support of each other? How typical is this family to most families living during the late 20th century? How does the triangular relationship between Parsifal, Phan and Sabine consist of a family of sorts?

(see the answer keys)

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