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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. Jacob Kahn wears what type of facial hair?
2. What does Asher's father make every morning for breakfast?
3. Who takes care of the Lev family during Rivkeh's incapacitating depression?
4. What is Yitzchok Lev's profession?
5. What does the housekeeper feed Asher as a bedtime snack?
Short Essay Questions
1. What happened to Yudel Krinsky in Russia? Describe some of his life before coming to the United States.
2. When talking with Asher about Vienna, what does Yudel Krinsky imply when he quotes, "honor your father and mother"?
3. During Asher's struggles against going to Vienna, he asks why no one is listening to him. Rivkeh replies, "Everyone is listening. [...] There would be no problem if no one were listening to you, Asher." Explain what Rivkeh means by this statement.
4. The scene when Asher meets Yudel Krinsky for the first time becomes a very important subject for Asher's art. What is Yudel Krinsky doing at the moment of meeting Asher? How does he act?
5. Describe Rivkeh's reaction to her loved one's death.
6. Several times in Chapter 4, Aryeh explains his reasons for wanting to go to Europe to work for the Rebbe. Explain some of those reasons.
7. At the beginning of Chapter 4, Asher draws Stalin many times. How do Aryeh and Rivkeh react to Asher's renewed interest in drawing?
8. When Aryeh returns to Brooklyn for the Pesach, how does he treat Asher?
9. How does Aryeh react to the Rebbe's decision to allow Asher to study under Jacob Kahn?
10. Why does Asher miss his father so much on the first Shabbos without him?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Describe Aryeh's and Rivkeh's reactions to the Brooklyn Crucifixions. How are their reactions related to their feelings about the Jewish faith, Jewish history, and their community?
Essay Topic 2
The book does not directly address Asher's love life, but it does offer hints, such as Asher's mention of "greetings" with a girl in Paris. In the Ladover community, marriages are arranged through families, although the bride and groom may also offer their consent. Describe Rivkeh's talking to Asher about the possibility of finding a wife. How does Asher handle this discussion? How do you think Asher would unite his duties to art with his duties to a potential wife and children? Explain.
Essay Topic 3
Throughout the novel, Asher describes moments of intimacy and estrangement between his parents, such as the intimacy that his parents gain through working in Europe alone together and the estrangement Rivkeh experiences from Aryeh due to Asher's art. Explain some of these moments. Do you think this makes a statement about what a normal marriage is like, or do you think Aryeh and Rivkeh should have treated each other differently? How do you think this affects Asher's development as a person? How does it affect his art?
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This section contains 1,064 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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