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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 old was Isaac when Rachel started drinking?

2. How many family members did Elliott have in his family?

3. What grade was Isaac in when he said he no longer wanted to play piano?

4. How long did it take for Jacob to save to buy Isaac a piano?

5. What did Jacob do when he found Isaac hungry and drity and Rachel in the middle of the floor drunk?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Jacob learn about his grandfather after he died?

2. What did Jacob remember about Isaac playing the piano?

3. How was Jacob brought up by his grandparents?

4. Why does Jacob write to Isaac?

5. Why did Jacob decide he would never leave Kansas City once he arrived?

6. In 1974, why did Jacob throw away Isaac's action figurines?

7. What was the house like that Jacob bought when he married Rachel?

8. What were men and women's roles in the 1960s?

9. How and when did Esau die?

10. When did Jacob's grandmother die, and how did life go on?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Jacob and Isaac have a strained relationship. What is Jacob’s parenting style? How does his parenting style cause a strained relationship between him and Isaac?

Essay Topic 2

Metaphors and similes are figures of speech that are used to make comparisons between things. Metaphors seem to imply an equal comparison, while similes seem to imply a similarity between two things. Does Black use more metaphors or similes in the novel? How does the use of metaphors or similes help readers comprehend concepts? How does the use of metaphors or similes help readers make the writing more interesting?

Essay Topic 3

Jacob went to school through the eighth grade. Why did Jacob have to quit school?

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