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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. While she is doing her language homework, how does Zuta feel about the confrontation that happened at the dinner table earlier that night?

2. How does Mr. Youngblood react when Mrs. Youngblood tells him he is acting childishly?

3. Which of the following is not something Joey adds to his fruit compote in the hopes of getting a laugh from the family?

4. Which of the following items is not something Uncle demands from the servant to show him his place in the household?

5. Which of the following groups of men almost passes as "good enough" for Kneadus' desire to meet a farmhand?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Joey see when he spies on the Youngblood family as they get ready for the morning in the bathroom?

2. How does Mrs. Youngblood react when she realizes that Joey is in love with Zuta?

3. What are Valek and Kneadus doing in the woods when Auntie and Uncle find them there?

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

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

6. How does Mr. Youngblood react to the scene he walks into in Zuta's bedroom while looking for thieves?

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

8. How does Zuta respond when she realizes Joey is spying on her?

9. How does the narrator explain his beliefs that all art is an imitation?

10. What causes the epileptic seizure that frightens the crowd of spectators at the tennis match?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

At various places in the novel, the prose is broken up with chunks of poetry or quotes from other published authors. First, choose at least two of these quotes from the novel and explain their significance within the story. Then, explain what is accomplished in the novel overall by including these secondary texts. Do you think the goal is accomplished?

Essay Topic 3

The narrator of this novel has very strong opinions of what art is in society and how to accomplish it. First, describe the difference between what the narrator calls "art" with a lowercase a and "Art" with an uppercase A. Then, describe the narrator's opinions of the art community as a whole. Do you agree with the narrator's opinions of art? Finally, describe how the narrator's opinions of art reflect his feeling about this novel. Be sure to choose at least two scenes from the novel that you think best exemplify and strengthen your argument and describe them in this essay.

(see the answer keys)

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