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. When Natalia's grandfather was shown the scans by his friend at the Military Academy of Medicine that indicated his illness, he had said, "You go looking for a gnat and you find" what?

2. How old is Ori when Natalia meets him in Chapter 2: "The War"?

3. What does Natalia describe drinking all night when her grandfather makes her stay home for the family Christmas party in Chapter 2: "The War"?

4. Where does the woman from the clinic tell Natalia that Dejana is currently when she calls from the bar in Zdrevkov in Chapter 5: "The Orphanage"?

5. What is the name of the midwife that took in Natalia's grandfather when he was orphaned as a child?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Natalia's grandfather respond when she discusses her excitement over the elephant and her desire to tell her friends about the incident? Why is this comment significant?

2. What is Natalia's objective in Chapter 1: "The Coast"? Where is she going and what is her mission there?

3. How does Natalia discover the location of Zdrevkov in Chapter 5: "The Orphanage"? Why is this location important to Natalia?

4. How does Natalia describe the hunt for the tiger that involved Luka in Chapter 4: "The Tiger"? What themes does this story evoke?

5. Discuss the setting of the novel. Where is the story set? What clues in the narrative indicate the setting? What time period does the story take place in?

6. Discuss the ethnic tensions that are seen in The Tiger's Wife. What do these tensions tell you about the setting and characters in the story?

7. What is symbolized by Natalia's grandfather's ritual visits to the zoo in the Prologue and Chapter 1: "The Coast"? How does this tradition play into the novel's themes?

8. What is the significance of the novel The Jungle Book in The Tiger's Wife? Who carries this book?

9. How does the grandfather's story about the Deathless Man begin in Chapter 2: "The War"? Where is the story set?

10. What information does Natalia learn about her grandfather's death from the barkeeper in Zdrevkov in Chapter 5: "The Orphanage"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the tone and mood established in the Prologue and Chapter 1: “The Coast.” How are “tone” and “mood” defined? What differentiates the two? What literary devices does the author use to establish this tone and mood? In what ways are the tone and mood related to the setting and characters introduced?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Zora in The Tiger’s Wife. For how long has Natalia known Zora? Where did they meet? What do you think Zora’s main role is in the narrative? How is Zora’s story resolved in the ending?

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think so many important characters in The Tiger’s Wife are not given first names? How does this choice relate to the genre of allegory? What would you consider to be archetypical aspects of each of these unnamed characters?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,162 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample