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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. From where does Tommy have to get the things that a young girl wants to buy?

2. What color are the things the girl wants to buy who comes to the store?

3. How does Tommy describe the girl's mother?

4. What was the name of the uncle who used to take Tony places?

5. What does the girl's mother do for a living?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tommy compare the ten-year-old girl who comes to the store with her mother?

2. How does Tommy notice that the girl steals some candy bars?

3. Why did a cop tell Tommy and Uncle Dom to throw back a lobster they caught, and why did they keep the lobster?

4. What does Tommy consider doing when he sees the girl stealing?

5. What does Tommy remember doing with his Uncle Dom?

6. What does Tommy remember catching with his uncle Dom once?

7. What are Tommy's thoughts when he brings the paper to the girl?

8. What does a ten-year-old girl buy and why?

9. What type of day is Tommy having when a young girl comes into the store?

10. How is the girl different from other kids who come into the store?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Mood is an element that authors use to evoke feelings in readers through the use of descriptive language. Mood is the overall feeling that readers have when reading a story. What is the overall mood of The Prison?

Essay Topic 3

Accumulation is a literary device that allows an author to gather scattered ideas in a literary work and gradually build on information readers need to know. From whose perspective is The Prison told? How does Malamud use accumulation to advance the plot and provide readers with important details about Tommy and his life?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 782 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample