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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 does Jacob Kahn take Asher for the summer?

2. To whom is Jacob Kahn referring when he mentions the "old Spaniard"?

3. Where does Asher have his first experience of painting a nude?

4. Jacob Kahn warns Asher not to become a whore due to which part of Asher's dress?

5. Asher accuses Aryeh of being blind in which way?

Short Essay Questions

1. What objects does Asher notice in his parents' bedroom?

2. Why does the Rebbe want Asher to study Russian?

3. Describe the reactions of Aryeh and Rivkeh when Asher announces that he plans to spend the summer in Europe.

4. At the end of Chapter 8, where is Aryeh?

5. What does Aryeh look like in Chapter 12, after Rivkeh has spent several years with him in Europe?

6. What does Asher draw for his enemy classmate? Describe the picture.

7. How does the Rav Dorochoff react to Asher's calling him in the middle of the night?

8. What is Asher's strongest memory of his first art show?

9. Describe the person with whom Asher stays in Florence.

10. What does Asher do for the summer while Jacob Kahn campaigns for Kennedy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Asher's changed eyes cause him to experience the world in a unique way. Describe this way of seeing. How does this way of seeing affect his choices for subjects to draw and paint? How does it shape his perspectives on controversial subjects? Use concrete examples, such as the difference between the way he views a nude and the way Aryeh views a nude.

Essay Topic 2

Describe Anna Schaeffer's role in Asher's life. How do you feel about the way her employees arrive at Asher's apartment, carry away his paintings, and don't let him see them again until the show?

Essay Topic 3

By the end of the book, the Rebbe believes that Asher has gone too far in his artwork and is now hurting those who love him, although he claims to understand Asher's work. Do you think the Rebbe would have preferred Asher to stay within the acceptable limits of the Ladover Hasidic faith? What do you imagine a reasonable Ladover Hasidic artist would paint? Try to imagine and explain some symbols other than the crucifixion that Asher could have used to convey ultimate suffering, symbols that would have been better received by Asher's community.

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