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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. The boy's mother identifies Yakov as the man who chased her son. What does she say Yakov was chasing her son with?

2. Who does Bibikov travel to see on Yakov's behalf in hopes of having Yakov's case dismissed?

3. When the author describes the wind rushing through Yakov's cell, what does he liken the wind to?

4. While Yakov is being interrogated, two men arrive at the interrogation room and are invited inside. Who are these men?

5. Who discovers what Yakov is doing and confiscates his materials?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do the officials decide not to charge Yakov with sexual assault based on Zina's official testimony?

2. When Yakov is returned to his cell, he feels a certain kinship with two other men in his cell. What does Yakov think the men all have in common?

3. Describe the scene from Yakov's childhood that gives him nightmares.

4. After Yakov's visitor leaves, the warden learns of the visit and interrogates Yakov again. What is the interrogation about?

5. As spring continues on, Yakov is no longer allowed to make his trips to the kitchen. Why?

6. Explain Bibikov's theory regarding Zhenia's murder.

7. Why does Yakov hate living in the Jewish neighborhood in Kiev?

8. When Yakov finally meets with his attorney, what is the bad news that the attorney tells to Yakov?

9. As the man in charge of the investigation questions Yakov, why does Yakov begin to feign ignorance and not answer the man's questions?

10. When Yakov is returned to prison and then meets with the prosecutor, the prosecutor offers him a lighter sentence in return for what?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast how the character of Yakov Bok changes as the story progresses. Be sure to include your assessment of Yakov's character when he is first introduced in the story, when Yakov leaves the shtetl, after Yakov receives his first indictment, and when the story ends. Use examples from the story to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Yakov Bok and B.A. Bibikov.

a. How are the two characters similar? How are they different?

b. Compare the role that justice plays in each of their lives. How is each character affected by the concept of justice - both positively and negatively?

Essay Topic 3

There are many people who are incarcerated or at the prison while Yakov is in prison. Identify at least three people killed at the prison. Compare and contrast each of these deaths being sure to indicate which character died, how the character died, and what impact on the overall plot the character's death had. What could - or should - Yakov have learned from each of these deaths?

(see the answer keys)

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