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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. Which of the following adjectives is not one Joey uses to describe Mr. and Mrs. Youngblood's bedroom?

2. How does Syphus kill himself?

3. What is the name of the valet Kneadus is in love with?

4. What are the peasants on the outskirts of town afraid the boys have come to steal from them?

5. Which of the following groups of people is not one to whom the narrator compares his literary work?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Joey create a peephole between his bedroom and Zuta's bedroom?

2. How do Joey and Kneadus fare while searching for the farmhand in the city?

3. What does the narrator of the novel believe is the worst form of torture in the world?

4. Why does Joey alter the fruit compote he is served for dessert with the Youngblood family?

5. Who starts the final brawl of the novel?

6. How does Zuta react when Kopyrda sneaks through her bedroom window?

7. What happens when Pimko also arrives outside Zuta's window while Kopyrda is still inside?

8. What does the narrator of the novel think about symmetry?

9. How does the colonel respond to the tennis game he is watching in the 18th century?

10. Why does Joey end up in a field at the end of the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Kneadus's main goal for the entire novel is to locate and connect with the farmhand. First, describe the character of the farmhand. What makes this character so desirable to outsiders? Then, describe how Kneadus finally met the farmhand he was searching for. What was the outcome of this meeting? Finally, describe the outside reaction to the idea that a master could befriend a servant. How did this reaction directly affect the relationship between Kneadus and his farmhand?

Essay Topic 2

Joey comes into contact with various members of his family as the novel progresses. First, explain why Joey's family is so broken and scattered. How has this element of his life affected Joey's level of maturity? Then, choose at least one scene in which one of Joey's family members pops up unexpectedly. How does Joey react to this surprise? How does the reintroduction of family affect the way Joey interacts with the outside world?

Essay Topic 3

When Joey arrives at the school, his schoolmates quickly divide up into two gangs, the lads and the guys. First, explain how the division among the boys came about in the schoolyard. Who is declared the leader of each of the gangs? What characteristics define the boys who are lads and boys who are guys? In what way does the schoolyard division reflect the social divide that is taking place in the town Joey lives in? Be sure to cite examples from the text to strengthen your argument.

(see the answer keys)

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