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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 does "the husband" hold, unexpectedly, when Tamar's mother first meets him in her apartment?

2. Who does Tamar's mother's visitor tell her the old man he has brought with him is?

3. What is Ershadi's character in the narrator's favorite film with Ershadi considering in the film?

4. Who is the narrator's closest friend during the early part of the story "Seeing Ershadi"?

5. Where do Shlomi and his partner go to find a surrogate parent for their child?

Short Essay Questions

1. What discovery at the end of the story "Future Emergencies" changes the path of the narrator's and Victor's relationship?

2. What does the narrator in the story "Seeing Ershadi" think about the film Taste of Cherry?

3. How does Sophie deal with her first breakup from Ezra?

4. What does Sophie sometimes do in the refugee camp to keep the others amused?

5. What view of nature does the landscape architect have?

6. What do the generals persuade the landscape architect to do in the story "In the Garden?"

7. What irrational thought does the narrator have as she tries to catch up with Ershadi in the Zen garden?

8. Why does Shlomi suggest Tamar does not like Ilana's relationship with Sandor?

9. How does Krauss explain the details of how the narrator and Sophie end up in a refugee camp?

10. What is the narrator's reaction when she thinks she sees the actor Ershadi in real life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In several stories in the collection, Krauss introduces newborn infants into characters' lives and family situations. Write an essay analyzing Krauss's use of infants and newborns as plot devices and/or foils, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

In the story "End Days," why is it particularly disturbing to Noa that her parents, Leonard and Monica, are so sanguine about their own divorce? What do you think are the real reasons for Noa's feelings of turmoil and anguish following her parents' divorce? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How would you describe the nature of the unnamed narrator's relationship with Victor in the story "End Days," and how does her discovery of her pregnancy change it? Write an essay explaining your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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