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Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What does Yankel do when he gets to the river?
2. Where does Alex live?
3. What does Alex's father call him?
4. What would Alex name a town if given the chance?
5. What does Sammy Davis Junior, Junior do to the shirt that she was given to look official?
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe how Yankel's feels when he finds out that he is going to be a father.
2. Describe Yankel's internal and external characteristics.
3. Is Sofiowka a reliable character? How do you know? Give details from the story.
4. Foer writes that Brod could "never be happy and honest at the same time" (79). What does this mean? Give examples from the text.
5. Describe the relationship between Alex and his father.
6. When Alex first meets Jonathan, he is "flabbergasted by his appearance" (31). Why?
7. Alex tells Jonathan that he "did not amputate Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior from the story" (55) despite Jonathan's request that he do so. Why would Jonathan not want SDJJ in the story? Why does Alex keep her?
8. How did the town get its official name?
9. In "Another Lottery, 1791," the town again makes a decision based on a lottery. Describe the two lotteries. What does this seem to suggest about the town?
10. Why did Yankel change his name? Why did he choose "Yankel"?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
What does Jonathan Safran Foer suggest about human nature in his novel? Do you disagree or agree? Why? Give details and examples to support your argument.
Essay Topic 2
Alex is always asking Jonathan for forgiveness for everything from trivial things to important, life-altering events. Why is Alex always concerned with forgiveness? Who else is concerned with forgiveness? What does this say about Alex's character? Is Alex someone who needs forgiveness? Defend your response with the text.
Essay Topic 3
As a historical fiction, this novel is influenced by real events and ideas. Analyze how World War II or the Jewish culture have influenced this novel. For example, you may show how the violence of the war led to the violence in the family unit, or show how the Jewish culture has led to the use of themes like rebirth, suffering, sadness, justice, or forgiveness. Use examples from the novel to support your conclusions.
This section contains 1,059 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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