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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. How does Frank feel about Jews?

2. What is Morris Bober's job?

3. What hours does Frank work in the store?

4. How many rooms does the Bober flat have?

5. How old is Ida?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Helen react to Nat's telephone call?

2. What does Morris do for the young girl? What does this tell you about his character?

3. What do you think the relevance of St. Francis is to the story?

4. What terrible things are revealed about Frank in this chapter?

5. What does Helen give Frank to prepare him for school? How does Frank react?

6. How is business at the store around Christmas? What explanation does Ida give for this?

7. How does Frank get a chance to talk to Helen? How does Helen react?

8. What happens to Morris at the end of the chapter? How does this event reflect his life?

9. How does Morris feel about owning the store?

10. Describe Frank's early family life.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay describing the process of bankruptcy in your country. Be sure to address:

1) The history of bankruptcy and origins of the word.

2) The basic process of bankruptcy for a small or large business.

3) How Morris Bober viewed the threat of bankruptcy, whether or not he considered it an option, and why.

4) The current bankruptcy rate in your country, and the main factors behind the statistics.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on the plight of family-owned business in the industrialized world. Be sure to address:

1) Threats to and challenges faced by family-owned business in America and worldwide.

2) How important you feel protecting family-owned business is, and why.

3) Policy suggestions for protecting and improving family-owned business.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on the life choices made by character in THE ASSISTANT. Be sure to address:

1) Themes and examples of regret and missed opportunities.

2) Examples of good and bad life choices made by characters in the novel.

3) The message you feel Bernard Malamud is communicating to readers regarding life choices.

(see the answer keys)

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