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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 did Ida Eisenhower marry?

2. Who was one of the people Perkins associate with in Greenwich Village?

3. What significant federal program was Perkins an advocate for?

4. Where did Perkins live in New York City with her husband?

5. What newspaper did Day found?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was Eisenhower's personal opinion of General Douglas MacArthur?

2. How does Brooks define the so-called "Big Me" culture?

3. Why did Ida Eisenhower forbid dancing, card games, and drinking in her home?

4. Why did Day set out to write about the experience of childbirth after having her child?

5. Why did Frances Perkins decide to dress like an older mother when dealing with male members of congress?

6. Why did Perkins take a job teaching at Cornell University in 1957 although the pay was very little?

7. How did Perkins initially win over Franklin Delano Roosevelt's trust?

8. What was a tactic Dwight Eisenhower used to manage his anger and emotions that involved writing?

9. What historic event happened when Dorothy Day was 8 years old?

10. In Chapter 1, what trait does Brooks feel was more common in most people in the WWII-era than it is today?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose two figures that Brooks profiles in the book and write an essay discussing how their lives and experiences exemplify his claim that many people of admirable character "had to go down to go up" (13).

Essay Topic 2

Why does Brooks think that the common commencement address advice for graduates to follow their passion is flawed? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to support your arguments (21).

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing how the radio program Command Performance, the WWII-era radio show that Brooks heard on NPR, inspired his writing of The Road to Character, citing specific references to the text to support your answer .

(see the answer keys)

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