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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. To help Belle explain her slightly darker skin, from where does she say that she has a grandmother?

2. What does Elsie de Wolfe do for a living?

3. In Chapter 10, approximately how many white man are at an auction in Boston?

4. When does Chapter 12 take place?

5. When does Belle attend a gallery show for Edward Steichen?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Junius Morgan?

2. What is Belle's office like at the library?

3. Why is Teddy uncomfortable when they walk from the train to the Fleet home in Washington, DC, and what does Genevieve tell her about the route?

4. What do Morgan and Bell decide about the library's collection?

5. How does Belle describe qualifications and her inexperience as an asset to becoming the librarian for Morgan's library?

6. What gift does Belle remember her father gave her on her tenth birthday, and what were his dreams for her?

7. How does Belle quash Anne's inquiries about her background?

8. In Chapter 9, how have Belle's duties for Morgan expanded?

9. How does Belle always know when Morgan is going to summon her to his office?

10. In Chapter 11, what has Belle done with a raise she has received from Morgan?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Artistic license is the way that an author creates, art, music, or writing based upon her interpretation of life. How do Benedict and Murray use artistic license to create the realistic background of The Personal Librarian? How do they add their own interpretations to the historical record?

Essay Topic 2

Belle reunites with her friends Katrina and Evelyn. What does Belle notice about their lives in contrast to hers? Why is it more difficult for Belle to be her own person than for Katrina and Evelyn?

Essay Topic 3

There are risks when the Greenes decide to hide their racial identity. What risks do the Greenes face when they hide their racial identity? Why does Belle believe it is important for them to continue to hide their racial identity and pass as white?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 854 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample