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The Soloist

Study Questions #3

 

 

Chapter 13: page 123

1. Why does Lopez ride along with the paramedics?

2. What does "This is the drill" (127) mean?

3. Why does Lopez let the mayor ride along?

4. What solutions to Skid Row and homelessness did New York try? Did they work?

5. What does the mayor see? What does he do after his visit to Skid Row?

 

Chapter 14: page 132

1. What disagreement does Lopez have with Horan and Murray at the beginning of this chapter?

2. What is Nathaniel Ayers feeling about living in an apartment?

3. What are Lopez' frustrations?

4. Describe Nathaniel Ayers' life compared to Lopez' life.

 

Chapter 15: page 140

1. What lie does Lopez use to get Nathaniel Ayers into the apartment?

2. What happens?

 

Chapter 16: page 149

1. What kind of childhood did Nathaniel Ayers have?

2. How did Nathaniel Ayers become interested in the bass?

3. What does Marjorie Moon say about why Nathaniel Ayers wants to play the bass?

4. Who is Harry Barnoff and how did he help young Nathaniel?

 

Chapter 17: page 160

1. What happens when Pete Snyder give Nathaniel Ayers his first lesson?

2. What does Lopez want?

3. What is Gary Karr's assessment of Nathaniel Ayers' talent?

4. What is Pete Snyder's assessment of Nathaniel Ayers' talent?

 

Chapter 18: page 169

1. What is Nathaniel Ayers' father's attitude towards his son?

2. How does Lopez react?

3. On page 175 What does Lopez tell us Nathaniel Ayers wants?

 

Chapter 19: page 177

1. What is Nathaniel Ayers' breakthrough?

2. What does Lopez do to try to keep the momentum going?

3. How does Lopez' violin lesson go?

4. Why is it important that Nathaniel Ayers says "I have a place" (185)?

 

Chapter 20: page 187

1. What does Nathaniel Ayers get for Christmas and how does he respond?

2. Who is in charge of Nathaniel Ayers' life?

 

Chapter 21: page 192

1. At the beginning of the chapter how does Lopez feel? Why?

2. How has Nathaniel Ayers influenced Lopez?

3. What makes Lopez "angry and scared" (198)?

4. Where did Nathaniel Ayers spend the night?

5. What does Lopez learn?

6. What is the contract that Robinson presents to Nathaniel Ayers? What is Ayers' response?

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