Helen on 86th Street

Which is the best description of Vita's mother?

• Disappointed, but trying to go on with her life.

• Merry and outgoing, always looking for fun.

• So bitter that she is unable to help her own daughter.

• Totally focused on her work and career.

"Helen on 86th Street" is about a ----

• Greek goddess who appears on a NYC sidewalk

• woman who believes she is Helen of Troy

• girl in a school play about Helen of Troy

• war between the Greeks and the Trojans

Where is Vita's father while the events of the story are taking place?

• living in the apartment
• traveling to unknown places
• married to his second wife
• directing the school play

What do the dog Argus, the cat Marlowe, the birds John and John, and the sixth-grader Helen have in common?

• Vita calls them animals.
• They all suffer disappointment.
• They are annoying.
• Their names are allusions to literary figures.

Mr. Dodd thinks that, as an actress, Vita--

• is the worst actress in the 6th grade.
• is worthy of stardom.
• should be in the horse.
• should give up on her dream.

What is Old Farfel's relationship to Vita's mother?

• She knows  him because he is Vita's school principal.
• He works with her and wants to become her boyfriend.
• He has been pestering her despite her protests.
• The poor man is trying to free himself from her clutches.

How is a restaurant takeout cup made into a mythological allusion in the story?

• The cup is blue, and so is Vita's mood.
• The cup becomes a prop for the class play.
• Ancient Greeks invented the paper cup.
• The cup has a picture of an ancient Greek temple on it.

Vita burns the letters because she--

• wants to make a sacrifice in order to get three wishes.
• wants Helen to act in the play.
• suffers from an unhealthy desire to start fires.
• wants to keep her mother from reading them.

When Vita's mother says, "No more burnt offerings when I'm not home," readers learn that she--

• is clueless about Vita's life.
• probably made burnt offerings at Vita's age.
• knows more than Vita thought she did.
• worries about leaving Vita home alone.

By the end of the story, Vita has NOT--

• gotten two of her wishes.
• shown she is a gifted actress.
• learned that her mother and Mr. Farfel have parted company.
• seen her father return.