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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 does the narrator want of Mr. Bond?

2. What does the narrator need in order to obtain a French passport?

3. What does the narrator scrounge up enough money to buy?

4. What does Charlotte do after the young woman is killed?

5. What does the narrator consider when he runs out of money?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the narrator not call or write Charlotte after he finds her and what does he do while waiting to see her?

2. How does Pashka almost drown once?

3. What happens when the narrator's mother goes for some medical tests?

4. What does the narrator feel when he is staying in the tombs and what symptoms did he think he had?

5. How did the narrator's book do and when does he remember something Charlotte told him when he saw his first coffin?

6. How does the narrator feel about the women in the photo and how does he try to return to the comfort of his childhood?

7. Who is the only person in the narrator's class who treats him kindly?

8. Who does the narrator notice while doing sequences and what does he notice about her?

9. What does the narrator begin to learn in Chapter 12 in class to protect the fatherland and how does he feel about the process of learning this?

10. Why does the narrator begin to write Charlotte's life and what does he want to know about her as he is writing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Upon returning to Russia, the narrator dives into books about France and French history, spending entire days lost in the dust-covered volumes of the public library. His interest in French history has taken his attention away from other childhood things like sports and movies, which has made him a target for bullies in his school. The only person who treats the narrator kindly is a young man in school everyone considers to be a dunce. The narrator's position as an outsider in his school is important to note because the entire novel surrounds the narrator's struggle to discover where he fits in in the world - is he Russian or is he French?

1. Why do you think the narrator became so deeply immerged in studying France and French history? Use examples from "Dreams of My Russian Summers" to support your answer.

2. Do you think that a student who is very different from his or her classmates is always bullied or ostracized? Why or why not? Use examples from "Dreams of My Russian Summers" to support your answer.

3. Why do you think it was so important to the narrator to figure out if he fit into society in Russia or in France? Use examples from "Dreams of My Russian Summers" to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Titles often play a vital role in making a person decide to read a particular book. Discuss the following:

1. Fully explain why you think "Dreams of My Russian Summers" is titled as such. Do you think it is the best title for the book? Why or why not? Can you think of a better title? Why would you choose it?

2. How important is a title in influencing you to consider reading a book? Explain your answer.

3. Do you think a title needs to have direct relevance to a book's content? Explain your answer.

4. Have you ever read a book that when you finished, you do not understand the relevance of the title? Does it discourage you from "trusting" that particular author again?

Essay Topic 3

Many novels, and perhaps a majority, of novels ends on a happy note. Discuss the following:

1. Why do you think many (most?) people want what they perceive as a happy or good ending to a novel? Explain your opinion. Do you? Why or why not?

2. What are three reasons to read fiction? Discuss each one in light of "Dreams of My Russian Summers" and whether or not it fulfills all three, two or one of the reasons you mention. Give examples as to why "Dreams of My Russian Summers" is or is not successful in fulfilling the reasons you discuss.

3. Do you think reading solely for entertainment is as good a reason to read as any other? Why or why not? Can any work of fiction or non-fiction, no matter how poorly written, enlighten, teach, stimulate thought? Why or why not?

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