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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. To whom does Levi sneak a call to the next day?

2. Why does Boaz become irate at Levi?

3. What happened once when Boaz was riding in a Humvee?

4. What does the man say happens when a girl becomes a girlfriend?

5. Why do several men lift up Jack onto the stage?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where is Boaz headed first?

2. What happens when Levi follows Boaz after Boaz leaves the restaurant?

3. Describe Levi's conversation with Christina.

4. How is Levi surprised when they arrive at Celine's aunt's house in Edgewood?

5. What happens when Levi is out jogging and finds his mother?

6. Why does Levi sneak a call to Pearl and what does he learn?

7. What do the three friends learn when they pull into a Motel 9 in Ridgewood?

8. What does Celine say to Levi about her brother?

9. What does Levi do after they check in to a motel?

10. Who do Pearl and Levi go to see in Poughkeepsie and how does Levi know they are at the right place?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Often, authors will write about "what they know," and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes the books more interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of Dana Reinhardt.

2. What in Reinhardt's background may have helped her in writing The Things a Brother Knows? What may have influenced the way she depicts various characters and scenes?

3. Do you think there is always some of the author's own life in his/her novels? Why or why not? Give examples.

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

Over the course of The Things a Brother Knows, Levi grows as a person in both complexity and understanding. The Things a Brother Knows might be considered a slice of Levi's larger story of his "coming of age." It might be said that The Things a Brother Knows is a "bildungsroman" of Levi Katznelson. Discuss the following:

1. Define Bildungsroman, or "Coming of Age," and give several examples from literature you have read.

2. Trace and analyze the character of Levi as he changes from a more carefree, innocent boy to a wiser, young man. What are the significant events that change Levi?

3. After thoroughly analyzing Levi's growth throughout The Things a Brother Knows, do you think The Things a Brother Knows could be considered Levi's Coming of Age story? Why or why not?

4. Are there any other characters in The Things a Brother Knows who go through a Coming of Age experience? Who? Why do you think so?

(see the answer keys)

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