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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 do many people think a piece of black plastic that hangs on a fence in the refugee camp looks like?

2. How does the landscape architect describe himself?

3. What does the narrator keep on his windowsill?

4. What does the narrator of "Future Emergencies" see someone wearing some time after the emergency that startles her?

5. What irrational thought does the narrator have when she thinks she sees Ershadi for the first time in real life?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the narrator think the person she passes on the street who is wearing a gas mask is wearing the mask at the end of "Future Emergencies"?

2. What does Victor do to try to prepare for whatever disaster may befall them in the story "Future Emergencies"?

3. What is one clear event that Sophie remembers led to her and Ezra's final breakup?

4. What does Sophie sometimes do in the refugee camp to keep the others amused?

5. What discovery at the end of the story "Future Emergencies" changes the path of the narrator's and Victor's relationship?

6. What does the narrator in the story "Seeing Ershadi" think about the film Taste of Cherry?

7. How does Krauss explain the details of how the narrator and Sophie end up in a refugee camp?

8. What does Romi do to help the narrator when the narrator is in a crisis?

9. In the story "Amour," where does the narrator encounter Sophie again years after first meeting her?

10. What does Romi tell the narrator she sees differently watching the film Taste of Cherry years after seeing it for the first time?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do you think Krauss has chosen to leave so many of her narrators and main characters unnamed? How does this choice affect a reader's experience of the collection? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

In several stories in the collection, Krauss introduces newborn infants into characters' lives and family situations. Write an essay analyzing Krauss's use of infants and newborns as plot devices and/or foils, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Krauss use the character Rafi to explore themes of violence and trauma in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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