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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. At what school is Edith going to teach?

2. What was the name of Maurice's second published novel?

3. What is the name of Edith's sister?

4. Of what group was Erich a member when he was a youth?

5. What did Oskar tell Erich he aspired to be?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Erich meet Maurice, and what are his initial impressions of the young man?

2. How does Maurice dash Erich's hopes in Part I, Chapter 7?

3. According to Erich, who were Mischlings? How was Erich personally defined by the term, as explained in Part I, Chapter 2?

4. What signs show the changing nature of Erich and Maurice's relationship in Part I, Chapter 6?

5. What does Erich witness at the beginning of Part I, Chapter 5?

6. What happened when Erich and Oskar took a biking trip together?

7. How does Maurice fail regarding Gore Vidal? How do the two part ways?

8. How does Dash feel about Maurice, according to his conversation with Gore Vidal?

9. What happened on Oskar's birthday, according to Erich in Part I, Chapter 6?

10. What is Gore Vidal's opinion of Dash Hardy, both professionally and personally?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay explaining the significance of the title of the novel, A Ladder to the Sky. How does the title reflect the main characters? How does the title reflect the novel’s themes? How does the title’s meaning change over the course of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the abacus as a symbol in the novel. Where does Maurice encounter one, and of what does it remind him? What might the abacus represent to Maurice?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the characters of Oskar and Alysse and analyze the effects each has on both Erich and the plot as a whole.

(see the answer keys)

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