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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. Where has there been a new posting according to a text message Marcus receives on his way to the office?

2. About what does Marcus' father apologize to Marcus?

3. What disrupts the confrontation with the girl who took the picture?

4. What does Marcus refuse to do when asked?

5. Where do the captors set up interviews?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Marcus angry when he tells his father about the police's activities?

2. Why does Jolu want to get out of the Xnet business?

3. What suddenly happens as Marcus and his friends are talking with the girl who takes their picture?

4. Who calls Marcus to the office, and what message does he receive on his way there?

5. How have Marcus' activities been monitored and how does he feel about that?

6. What does Marcus do to try to talk to his friends without being monitored?

7. How is Marcus released?

8. Describe the confrontation between Marcus' mother and the police.

9. What does Marcus' father tell Marcus about how DHS is going to solve the problem of false positives?

10. Who does Marcus believe has taken them and how does he discover the truth?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are a number of interesting questions raised by "Little Brother". Questions that Doctorow most likely want readers to consider and think through carefully. Discuss the following:

1. What does the term "author agenda" mean?

2. Name one idea/concept you think may have been a part of the Doctorow' agenda. Analyze that idea throughout the book and discuss Doctorow' probable agenda concerning that idea.

2. Do you think writers who have an agenda for writing should point it out in a preface?

3. How often do you think fiction is written with a clear agenda in mind by the author?

4. Research the life of Doctorow and see if/where his life may have influenced his writing.

Essay Topic 2

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think "Little Brother" is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 3

Right to privacy has already clashed with these tracking devices as authorities have been required to trade in face recognition cameras for gait recognition cameras as the face recognition cameras were considered unconstitutional. Marcus also notes that even though the teachers aren't allowed to put tracking devices on the students, they can put them on library books, which can be used, indirectly, to track the students. Even on the streets, Marcus and his friends face high tech snitches who take their pictures and threaten to put them on the Internet as proof the students skipped school.

1. Discuss the pros and cons of the authorities being able to track students. Use examples from your own life and 'Little Brother' to support your reasoning.

2. Do you think that technology when it gets to a higher level than it is now will be intrusive on people's lives? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life and 'Little Brother' to support your reasoning.

3. Discuss what you think "right to privacy" means and how much citizens of a country should be able to control access to their lives. Use examples from your own life and 'Little Brother' to support your reasoning.

(see the answer keys)

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