View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the narrator in the Part One, Chapter Three, what saved his life?

2. What information does Jean-Felix tell Theo in Part Two, Chapter Twenty about Alicia's relationship to her father?

3. According to Ruth in Part Two, Chapter Nine, what is Theo doing by being with Kathy?

4. What does Theo begin to doubt in Part Two, Chapter Eighteen?

5. What career does the narrator have?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Alicia's diary in Part Two, Chapter Thirteen, what happened when Max came over for dinner?

2. What does Theo do in Part Two, Chapter Six? What does he discover?

3. What plan of inquiry does Theo outline in Part One, Chapter Eight?

4. What happens during Theo's second session with Alicia in Part Two, Chapter Four?

5. What does Theo learn from Max during their meeting in Part Two, Chapter Twelve?

6. How does the narrator describe Gabriel Berenson in Part One, Chapter One?

7. What paintings does Theo see when he visits the art gallery in Part Two, Chapter Twenty?

8. What doubts does Theo experience in Part Two, Chapter Eighteen? What revives his suspicions?

9. According to the Prologue, how does Alicia feel about her husband?

10. Who is Jean-Felix? What does he do while Alicia is on trial for murder?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the men in Alicia’s life: Gabriel, Max, Jean-Felix, and Theo. Is she loved by any of them? If so, which? What is the nature of this love? What point do you think the author is trying to make about love?

Essay Topic 2

Ruth believes that some people confuse drama and dysfunction for love. Real love, she says, is deep, calm, and constant. Explain how the characters in the novel illustrate the truth (or not) of her words.

Essay Topic 3

Alicia finds herself involved in several conflicts over the course of the novel. Choose one instance of internal conflict and one instance of external conflict, and explain how these conflicts have an impact on the story and the characters involved.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 787 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample