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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. When does Piri wish he had run away?

2. What kind of drink are the kids selling?

3. How does Piri sometimes sneak out of his classroom?

4. What do Piri's parents argue about?

5. Where does Piri shine shoes?

Short Essay Questions

1. What problems does the family face in the opening section?

2. Describe the fight between Piri and Rocky in the opening section.

3. How does racism bother Piri in the fourth section?

4. Describe Piri's time with the baseball team at his new school.

5. Why does Piri think his father does not like him as much as his other children?

6. Why does Piri think Crutch has a good way of looking at racism?

7. How does Piri's father react to Piri's temporary blindness?

8. What happens at the faggots' apartment?

9. How does Piri injure his hand?

10. How does Piri react to what he hears Marcia and her friends saying?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Outline Piri's prison routine How do the students think this routine benefited Piri? How did Piri make the most of his days?

Essay Topic 2

Examine Piri's writing style. How would you describe his prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? Does he use any specific writing techniques? What meaning does Piri's style give to his story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss differences between the novel and autobiography formats. What are the main elements of a novel? What are the main elements of an autobiography? What can novelists express that an autobiographer cannot? How can autobiographies keep to the facts while still maintaining a level of entertainment?

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This section contains 660 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample