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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. How do Ona and Jurgis pay for the furnishings they acquire?

2. Where does Jurgis return to get his job back?

3. Whose factory is suddenly shut down, leaving this character without work?

4. Who has a child that dies immediately at the start of this chapter?

5. What is the child's death presumably caused be?

Short Essay Questions

1. What holiday occurs during the time that Jurgis is in jail?

2. How do Ona and Jurgis furnish their 'new' home?

3. Why is Stanislovas afraid to go out into the snow?

4. What is the Lithuanian family in the first chapter traveling to?

5. Who is Jurgis overcome with worry over?

6. What begins to happen to Ona in this chapter?

7. Why does Jurgis beat up Conner?

8. Why are the sausages the family eats not helping their nutrition?

9. What is the suspected cause of Elzbieta's child's death?

10. Why can't any people pay off the 'new' houses they have bought?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

If you were in Jurgis and Ona's financial position, would you have still held a veselija? Why or why not? Why do you think they still had this traditional reception even though they couldn't afford it? Do you think it was fair for them to have to go into debt for this gathering? Why or why not? Was this the beginning of their troubles?

Essay Topic 2

Sinclair makes it pretty clear in the text the he feels socialism is the answer to the world's problems. Did you think Sinclair's arguments were convincing? Why or why not? How does socialism help Jurgis in this story?

Essay Topic 3

Jurgis has a motto of "I will work harder." Does this attitude ever help Jurgis? Describe how. List at least two situations in which this positive attitude does not help Jurgis? Do you think this is a good motto to live by? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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