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Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. How does Morgan dress?
2. Why do the police pay little attention to burglaries at Father's fireworks factory?
3. What could The Boy see in the polished rear doors of the Pierce Arrow hearse?
4. What does Coalhouse Walker, Jr., do to identify himself.
5. What innovation of Henry Ford's was about to revolutionize American manufacturing?
Short Essay Questions
1. What does Father decide to do to make up for the time he has not spent with The Boy?
2. What does Younger Brother do that the family is completely unaware of?
3. That spring, what happens at the Matteawan State Prison Farm?
4. What is the beginning of the trouble with Coalhouse Walker?
5. Why does Father return alone to New York, leaving the family in Atlantic City.
6. What remarkable innovation in manufacturing took place about this time?
7. What is Sarah's funeral like?
8. Why does J. P. Morgan want to meet with Henry Ford?
9. What is keeping Father busy that summer?
10. What happens on Houdini's tour of Europe?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Write a paper comparing Evelyn Nesbit with notorious movie stars of the 20th century. A good comparison might be to Marilyn Monroe. Compare their beginnings, Evelyn's posing nude for a statue and Marilyn appearing nude in Playboy Magazine, their notoriety in the press, and their many romantic entanglements. Doctorow suggests that Evelyn is the model for all the show business women who followed her. This should be a fun paper to write.
Essay Topic 2
Look up information of minstrel shows which were popular in America from the late 1800s through the 1930s. Describe them and give your opinion about them as entertainment. Even Scott Joplin performed in minstrel shows during his lifetime. Al Jolson, a Jewish man, became famous blacking his face and performing in minstrels. It was of course a demeaning representation of black people as a whole and contributed to the stereotype of the race that went on into the movies until the late 1950s. Discuss how much you think such entertainments delayed the civil rights movement in America.
Essay Topic 3
Do some research and write a brief paper on J. Pierpont Morgan. Political cartoons of his time pictured Morgan as being bigger than Uncle Sam. In fact, he did bail out the U.S. economy at one time. There is even an undertone of racism in Morgan in the novel when he cables the D. A. to give Coalhouse his auto and hang him. From your research, explain how Doctorow's use of Morgan in the novel is believable.
This section contains 748 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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