The Book of Daniel Quizzes

The Book of Daniel Quiz 1

By Kristen Osborne · Edited by Christine McKeever · Last reviewed March 27, 2012

1 Which historical figures' lives is the novel based upon?

Sacco and Vanzetti

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt

Richard and Pat Nixon

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
2 What year was the novel published?

1968

1980

1971

1970
3 What year do the contemporary events of the novel take place?

1953

1970

1965

1967
4 What university does Daniel attend?

NYU

Yale

Harvard

Columbia
5 Who has been institutionalized at the beginning of the novel?

Phyllis

Susan

Daniel

Rochelle
6 What are Daniel and Phyllis doing in one of their first scenes together that causes Daniel to wonder how the reader might conceive of him?

Having sex

Shopping

Arguing

Discussing his dissertation
7 What is Susan's famous phrase she utters to Daniel that haunts him throughout the novel?

"Our parents were guilty"

"You are dead to me"

"They're still fucking us"

"It is all your fault"
8 Which biblical character does Daniel discuss at length?

David

Daniel

Solomon

Jesus
9 What is Robert Lewin's profession?

A doctor

A lawyer

A high school teacher

A judge
10 Who is Ascher?

A radical

Susan's therapist

A friend of the family whose testimony is used against the Isaacsons

The family lawyer
11 What phenomenon does Daniel note happens in American life after a war?

Wartime coalitions persist and harmony prevails

Fierce partisanship, violence, and passion replace the coalitions of wartime

Religiosity declines

Americans claim to never want to go to war again
12 Where did Susan attempt suicide?

Columbia University

In the bathroom of a Howard Johnson's

The home of another radical

Her apartment
13 What does Daniel say the Lewins value above all else?

Civility

Intelligence

Faith

Reason
14 What family outings does Daniel recall in detail?

Birthday parties

Church

Shopping at New York department stores

Trips to the beach
15 Which of the following statements concerning Paul Isaacson and Daniel's recollections of him is FALSE?

Daniel used to enjoy listening to Paul tell him about American history and current events

Paul was irresponsible and childish a lot of the time

It sometimes seemed like Paul thought it was odd that he was a father

Paul was the more pragmatic, reserved parent
16 What kind of business did Paul have?

A bookstore

A radio repair shop

A tailor shop

An auto repair shop
17 Which of the following descriptions of Rochelle is FALSE?

She was irresponsible and immature

She possessed more rage and dogmatism

She took pride in cleaning her house

She was sensual and attractive
18 Which of his parents' family friends did Daniel hate?

Nate Silverstein

The Kantrowitz sisters

Ben Cohen

Selig Mindish
19 Where do the Isaacsons and their friends take the bus to?

The beach

Washington DC

A Paul Robeson concert

A political rally
20 What happens to the bus on the way home from the outing in Peeksill?

It is attacked by people who hate Jews, blacks, and Communists

Paul makes the driver stop so he can give a political speech

It is involved in a crash

Nothing
21 Who stands up against the violent attackers and is injured in the process?

Mindish

Paul

Rochelle

Daniel
22 Where did Daniel meet his wife?

Columbia University

A protest at the Pentagon

Through Susan

A Central Park Be-In
23 What does Daniel force Phyllis to do while they are driving Susan's Volvo to the Lewins' house?

Remain silent for the entire ride

Take her pants off

Sit in the backseat with their son

Take the wheel while he was in the driver's seat
24 Which of the following statement about childhood life with the Lewins is FALSE?

Daniel and Susan talked obsessively about theit parents

The two siblings were estranged for a few years when they were teenagers

Daniel and Susan never talked about their parents

It was comfortable and middle class
25 Whose story does Daniel tell in the section entitled "Bintel Brief?"

Rochelle's

Paul's

His maternal grandmother's

Phyllis's

Essays for The Book of Daniel

The Book of Daniel essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Book of Daniel by E. L. Doctorow.

Wikipedia Entries for The Book of Daniel

Introduction

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