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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 is Tommy's life like?

2. What hours does Tommy work at the candy store?

3. When Tommy put a slot machine in the store, what would anyone get who played a nickel?

4. What "sick-in-the-stomach feeling" does Tommy have?

5. How old was Tony when he dropped out of vocational school?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was Tommy like when he was a kid and went by his birth name, Tony?

2. What is Tommy's life like?

3. Why did Tommy run to Texas for a while?

4. What type of schedule does Tommy keep?

5. How did Tommy get in trouble?

6. How was Tommy able to save $55 that Rosa does not know about?

7. How did Tommy get out of trouble after the holdup?

8. Who were the shoe boys?

9. What was Rosa's reaction when Tommy put a slot machine in the candy store?

10. What happened to the slot machine Tommy put in the candy store, and how did that keep Tommy out of trouble?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Imagery is a literary device authors use to describe people in a story and the world they inhabit. Imagery involves using the five senses to describe characters, places, and things. How does Malamud use imagery to reveal Tommy’s world and the other characters?

Essay Topic 2

In The Prison, Tommy is the only round or dynamic character. What is the importance of the other characters as flat or static characters? When there is conflict, what role do these characters play?

Essay Topic 3

What readers know about events and characters in a story is determined by the point of view. What is the point of view in The Prison? How does the point of view influence what readers know about characters and events?

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This section contains 789 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample