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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. Who is Reuven?

2. Who was Nota Finkel?

3. What happens to Michael between the time of his breaking down at the fair and then arriving home?

4. What does Reuven say about Rachel Gordon?

5. What happens to Michael on the drive home?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the narrator's plans for his schooling and what were the influences on his choice?

2. Describe the neighborhood in which the narrator lives at the opening of the The Promise.

3. What does Reuven say about the Hasid?

4. What is the topic of Michael's long-winded monologue to Reuven?

5. Describe the elderly man who is the father of the booth attendant at the dice game.

6. Who is Nota Finkel and for what is he noted?

7. Describe Reuven's visit with Danny.

8. Who does Reuven encounter at the library and what is the person doing?

9. Describe Reuven and Michael's phone conversation.

10. Describe the game which Michael is playing and which is making Reuven and Rachel nervous for him.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Kalman reminds Reuven that Professor Gordon was excommunicated and demands that Reuven respect the excommunication by dissociating from Gordon. Discuss the following:

1. What is ex-communication in the Jewish tradition? What are the reasons for ex-communicating someone?

2. Do other religions practice ex-communication? Which ones? What are the reasons for ex-communicating someone?

3. Does ex-communication seem like a good way to deal with a dissenter? Why or why not?

4. How is ex-communication a form of control?

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 8, Rav Kalman says he wants to impress upon the class the importance of choosing Torah over all else. Kalman says that he could only give his approval to students who put it above all else because he had had one of the greatest teachers of Torah in the world, and since his teacher had been killed, as had all his European students, his approval is the lone approval of an entire great line of Torah commentators. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think Rav Kalman means by the statement that his lone approval of an entire great line of Torah commentators?

2. What is the definition of tradition?

3. How important do you think tradition is in matters of religious belief?

4. Should religious belief change with cultural beliefs? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the following:

1. What is a plot? What are the most important elements of a plot and their definition? Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not?

2. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of The Promise, identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot?

3. Identify the major sub-plots and their elements (They may not contain every element of a major plot). Do the sub-plots add to the main plot? Why or why not. Are the sub-plots interesting in and of themselves? Why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,067 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample