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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. What publication writes a blurb about Nathan?

2. Where does the narrator live?

3. What kind of validation does Nathan want from Lonoff?

4. What is playing in Hope's kitchen?

5. How old is the house, according to the narrator, in Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the man Nathan Zuckerman meets in the beginning of Chapter 1.

2. What does Zuckerman tell Lonoff when he asks Zuckerman about his life in Chapter 1?

3. Why does Zuckerman's mother call Quahsay?

4. What is one of the most admirable things about Lonoff for Zuckerman?

5. How does Zuckerman convince Lonoff to meet with him?

6. How does Zuckerman's father think the "Higher Education" story will be perceived if it is published?

7. How does Zuckerman react to the decor in Lonoff's home?

8. What is pinned to the bulletin board in Lonoff's office?

9. How does the trouble between Zuckerman and his father begin, according to Zuckerman in Chapter 2?

10. Why does Zuckerman begin writing down the names of everything on Lonoff's bookshelves in his study?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Roth, a Jewish writer, also uses Jewish characters in his story. Those characters, in turn, reference other Jews and Jewish traditions and beliefs. Write a response exploring the importance of Zuckerman's repeated references to Anne Frank in light of being Jewish. Use specific references to the story in the response.

Essay Topic 2

Philip Roth tends to use some of his characters as alter egos of himself. Explore Roth's use of characters in "The Ghost Writer" as alter egos. Who is Roth's alter ego in the story? Can more than one character serve as an alter ego? How do the characters become alter egos? Use specific examples from the story in the response.

Essay Topic 3

Each of "The Ghost Writer"s four chapters has a different title. Explain the relevance of each chapter's title in relation to the events of that particular chapter. What does each chapter title mean? How does the chapter title connect to the events of that chapter? Use specific references to the story in the response.

(see the answer keys)

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