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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 did the author want more than anything?

2. During the second year of The Great Depression, how long had it been since the author's father had work?

3. What was the author's first idea of summer?

4. Why did the author daydream of Mrs. Solovey?

5. What book was the author always reading on his job?

Short Essay Questions

1. The author gave Mrs. Solovey an alternative name -- what was the name and why did he give it to her?

2. How does the author describe summer in Brownsville?

3. What is so significant about the author not being able to find his mother during the funeral service for Mrs. Solovey?

4. Where did the author's walks take him when he walked to the edge of Brownsville?

5. What are the details the author remembers most about the drugstore?

6. What did the author write his final high school paper on?

7. During the summer nights in Brownsville, many groups met to have meetings on the streets. What were some of those groups and what were their causes?

8. The author read from his prayer book every morning. What were his feelings and experiences?

9. The author was given a book and the giver was surprised. Why was she surprised?

10. When Mrs. Solovey makes a visit to the author's home, she engages the author in conversation but soon becomes frustrated. Why does she become frustrated?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the group that he joins, the author meets two young men who make a significant impact on him. Who were the members and what details about these members and their surroundings drew the author in? What aspects of these characters distanced him?

Essay Topic 2

Shame is a recurring theme in the book. Using examples from the book, describe the 2 main causes for the author's shame.

Essay Topic 3

Who does the author discover in the last section that makes the most impact on him? How does the author's discovery of this person lead him to even stronger feelings of "beyond' being attainable?

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