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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 Thelma?

2. Ivan compares Stella to what item found in nature?

3. What toy does Julia give Ivan?

4. Who is George?

5. How long has Ivan lived at the mall?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ivan's artwork differ from Julia's artwork?

2. Why does Mack give George money to buy new crayons for Julia?

3. Where does Ivan live?

4. How does Ivan spend his days?

5. Why did the seal die?

6. How does Ivan compare humans to chimps?

7. Why does Bob refer to poodles as "parasites"?

8. What is a claw-stick?

9. What does Mack do with Ivan's paintings and drawings?

10. Why does Bob avoid most humans?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

If you had to choose one essential message or theme to describe the purpose of Ivan’s story, what would it be? Explain how Ivan learns or experiences this theme. Can you think of a situation in which humans might experience this theme as well?

Essay Topic 2

Ivan is the narrator of the story. Why do you think the author chose to have him tell the story instead of writing it from a human’s perspective? What do we learn from Ivan’s point of view that we might not learn had the story been told from a human’s point of view?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the role the claw-stick plays in the story. Compare how Mack views the use of the claw-stick with how the other characters view its use. What role does the claw-stick play in the release of the animals? How could this be described as ironic?

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