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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. Where is Darren when the novel begins?
2. How does Jonathan characterize the Topeka Foundation?
3. What took Adam to see Dr. Erwood?
4. Where is Ziegler carted away to, at the end of the story?
5. How does Jonathan see his dissertation research putting him in Ziegler’s position?
Short Essay Questions
1. What is the setting for the opening of The Topeka School?
2. What was it that the Foundation community found humorous when Jonathan screened the film he made of the Ziegler story?
3. How did fame change things for Jane?
4. What was the memory Sima helped Jane uncover?
5. What happens in the Herman Hesse story Jonathan talks about?
6. How does Jane characterize her relationship with Sima?
7. What significance does Darren attribute to the paper banner cheerleaders hold up for the football team to run through?
8. How does the narrative tone change when Bob Dole enters the high school where the debate is taking place?
9. How does Jane say Sima was different from the other therapists at the Foundation?
10. What importance did Jonathan’s therapist attach to his interest in the Ziegler story?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
How does Lerner use debate as a running metaphor throughout the novel? How does it parallel relationships, politics, the economy? What are the advantages and disadvantages of debate strategies as running metaphors throughout the novel?
Essay Topic 2
Write a character sketch of the author based on his style and content. What can we tell about him, based on the choices he makes in terms of description, characterization and plot? What values does he hold dear? What are his hopes and fears? What kind of person do you think he is? Anchor your sketch in passages in the book.
Essay Topic 3
Evaluate the ending of The Topeka School. Does it ring true to you? Does it successfully resolve the problems and tensions that preceded it? What would you change, if anything? What are you left wishing for closure on, if anything?
This section contains 1,121 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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