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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 Bob Marley song is Peter listening to as he packs his suitcase in the beginning of the novel?

2. What does Natasha tell Daniel she wants to be when she grows up?

3. What is the name of Natasha's father?

4. What item of Daniel's does he ask Natasha to carry in her backpack as they walk to her appointment?

5. What does Irene want to confiscate but does not, in “Irene: A History"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are Natasha's feelings about science?

2. What "event" leads to Daniel pursuing the signs of God in the novel?

3. What happens when Natasha arrives late for her meeting with Karen Whitney?

4. How would you describe the relationship between Daniel and Charlie?

5. What are the relationships like in Daniel's family?

6. Why does Natasha become flustered and leave the coffee shop?

7. How is "love" perceived by Natasha and by Daniel in the novel?

8. What study from the New York Times does Daniel present to Natasha and why?

9. What event caused the deportation order that Natasha's family faces in the novel?

10. Who is Hannah Winter and what role does she play in the plot of The Sun is Also a Star?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of fate in The Sun is Also a Star. How is this theme developed through character? How does the author develop this theme through setting? What symbolism and imagery connect to this theme?

Essay Topic 2

How is the word "irie" defined in “Irie: An Etymological History"? Why do you think the author includes this brief chapter in the novel? How does the word "irie" apply to the novel as a whole?

Essay Topic 3

What does "Deus ex Machina" mean, and where does this phrase appear in the novel? What is the significance of the phrase in relation to the story? How does deus ex machina apply thematically in The Sun is Also a Star?

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