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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 can the narrator control?

2. Where does Tod Friendly work after (in the narrator's experience) he is demoted?

3. From whom does Tod Friendly get a letter every year?

4. What seems to the narrator to make more sense backwards?

5. How does the narrator learn to make sense of what people say?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tod feel about his physical body in the first chapter?

2. How does the narrator understand language?

3. Describe how the narrator feels about Tod Friendly's work?

4. Can the reader sympathize with the narrator's sense of horror at John Young's work?

5. What is Tod's relationship with the narrator?

6. What does the narrator think about Tod Friendly's dreams and memories?

7. Describe Reverend Nicholas Kreditor's appearance.

8. Does Tod Friendly/John Young seem to be a good person?

9. Describe some cases in which characters are wistful about the past.

10. What is the narrator's relationship with Irene?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Uncle Pepi and Reverend Nicholas Kreditor are the two male characters who affect Odilo's life. Compare and contrast these characters.

1. How are they similar and how are they different?

2. How do they affect Odilo's life? Do they help him? How do they hurt him?

Essay Topic 2

Men and women have different perspectives on the events of this book.

1. How do men's and women's perspectives differ? How are they similar? How would you characterize men's perspectives, and how would you characterize women's? Do individuals have both male and female characteristics?

2. Where do men's and women's perspectives and values come into conflict? Whose values or whose power wins those conflicts?

Essay Topic 3

By the time he gets to America as John Young and then Tod Friendly, Odilo Unverdorben is on a mission to redeem himself.

1. Whose forgiveness does he seek? Does he attain it from them? Why or why not?

2. Who would Odilo have had to go to, to get forgiveness? Is there anyone with authority who could absolve him of his actions?

3. Is it enough that Odilo tries to redeem himself? Do his actions balance each other? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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