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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. In Chapter 3, Oskar is in the hospital and his friends come to visit. What gift does Klepp bring him?

2. How long does the troupe entertain at Metz?

3. What does Oskar say was wrong with the wooden bench at the church?

4. As an adult, what does Oskar do with his old drums?

5. During their conversation at the beginning of the book, where does Oskar say Bruno "derived all his inspiration"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the Board of Health want to commit Oskar?

2. How does Oskar describe himself when he was born?

3. What does the midget troupe eat on their picnic?

4. What does Rasputin teach Oskar?

5. Why does Greff fall into despair in Chapter 25?

6. How does Oskar interpret the invitation of Jan Bronski's father to Kurt's baptism?

7. As the story begins, the reader immediately learns that the narrator is in a mental hospital. How does Oskar wish to change his room and are his changes something that would be expected?

8. Oskar spends a lot of time talking about his family history. One significant member of his family is Jan Bronski. How is Jan related to Oskar's mother and how does Oskar describe this character?

9. During the skat game, Bronski loses because of what distraction?

10. What two things are the result of Oskar's fall down the cellar steps?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does Oskar's drum represent? Is it possible that Oskar affected so many people and events with his small toy drum?

Essay Topic 2

Oskar is able to scream loud enough to make glass shatter. What are his motivations for this behavior? How does Oskar's glass breaking screaming change as he gets older? Does he ever stop this behavior?

Essay Topic 3

War is an underlying theme in this book. How does the author discuss the war? Does this description provide an adequate background for the story?

(see the answer keys)

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