View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does everyone do when Boaz comes down for dinner?

2. Who does Levi spot with Christina at the movies?

3. For how long has the sign at the school entrance been the same message?

4. Where are Levi and Zim?

5. With whom is Christina going away for the summer?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Levi conflicted about Boaz and who has he told?

2. Who is Christine and what does Levi think when he sees her?

3. Who is Pearl and what is her relationship to Levi?

4. What does Levi tell Zim and Pearl about Boaz while they are at the yogurt shop?

5. What does Zim say to Levi's statement about Boaz and how does Levi respond?

6. What does Levi say about Boaz as a brother?

7. Why does Levi feel like a sneak and thief?

8. How do Amanda and Abba respond differently to Boaz's behavior?

9. What does Zim say in response to Levi's talking about Boaz and what is Levi's response?

10. What is Levi doing when Boaz comes home and how does the family greet him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Seventeen-year-old Levi's older brother is coming home after three years in the service and serving in the war. Levi is cautious with his feelings. He used to look up to his brother, but Boaz' decision to join the military has had a very negative impact on the family. Levi doesn't understand the war, why it was necessary or why his brother would volunteer to be part of it.

It is obvious that Levi harbors a good deal of bitterness about his brother's decision. His mother has been worrying non-stop for three years. Levi thinks deep down that Boaz' decision was selfish.

1. Discuss the impact Boaz joining the Marines had on his family. Use examples from The Things a Brother Knows and your own life to support your answer.

2. Discuss the reasons Boaz might have volunteered for the Marines and the reasons Levi might not agree with the war. Use examples from The Things a Brother Knows and your own life to support your answer.

3. Do you think Boaz was selfish for joining the military? Why or why not? Use examples from The Things a Brother Knows and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. Who is/are the protagonists of the story and why?

2. Who is/are the antagonists of the story and why?

3. Which three secondary characters have the greatest impact on the plot?

4. Are any of the characters dispensable? Why or why not?

5. Do you think this is a character-driven plot or an action-driven plot? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

There are a number of interesting questions raised by The Things a Brother Knows. Questions that Reinhardt most likely wants readers to consider and think through carefully. Discuss the following:

1. What does the term "author agenda" mean?

2. Name one idea/concept you think may have been a part of the Reinhardt's agenda. Analyze that idea throughout the book and discuss Reinhardt's probable agenda concerning that idea.

2. Do you think writers who have an agenda for writing should point it out in a preface?

3. How often do you think fiction is written with a clear agenda in mind by the author?

4. Research the life of Reinhardt and see if/where her life may have influenced her writing.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,021 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample