Table for Two Quiz: 20 Questions About Story, Character & Theme

Welcome to the official companion quiz for Amor Towles’ Table for Two. This 20-question challenge spans all seven stories in the collection—from Tsarist Russia to contemporary New York and Hollywood. You’ll find plot/sequence questions, character motivation, theme/symbol, and synthesis items. Mix of multiple-choice and short-answer formats. After the quiz, see the answer key with explanations. For deeper discussion, visit our Q&A page or the ending explained.

Quiz

Plot & Sequence (Questions 1–8)

(Multiple Choice) In The Line, after Pushkin discovers his talent for waiting in lines, what does he do next?
A. He becomes a factory supervisor.
B. He adopts an orphan, Petya, and builds a network of line-waiters.
C. He joins the Red Army.
D. He opens a small grocery store.
(Multiple Choice) In The Ballad of Timothy Touchett, what leads to Timothy’s arrest?
A. Paul Auster reports forged copies of his own books.
B. Mr. Pennybrook confesses to the police.
C. Timothy tries to sell a forgery to a museum.
D. A customer recognizes his handwriting on a first edition.
(Multiple Choice) In Hasta Luego, why does Jerry confiscate the minibar bottles from Smitty’s hotel room?
A. The hotel has a strict no-alcohol policy.
B. Smitty is a recovering alcoholic who has relapsed.
C. Jerry wants to drink them himself.
D. The bottles are not paid for.
(Multiple Choice) In I Will Survive, what secret does Nell discover about her stepfather John?
A. He is having an affair with a neighbor.
B. He secretly roller-skates in Central Park as “Gloria.”
C. He has been hiding a large gambling debt.
D. He works for a government intelligence agency.
(Multiple Choice) In The Bootlegger, what was Arthur Fein’s original reason for recording concerts at Carnegie Hall?
A. He planned to sell bootleg tapes for profit.
B. He wanted to study classical music arrangements.
C. He recorded the music so he and his bedridden wife could listen together.
D. He was writing a book about concert hall acoustics.
(Multiple Choice) In The DiDomenico Fragment, who ultimately purchases the Renaissance painting fragment from Peter and Sharon?
A. Percy Skinner himself.
B. Mr. Sarkis, the art dealer.
C. Michael Reese, a tech billionaire.
D. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
(Multiple Choice) In Eve in Hollywood, what is the central focus of the story?
A. The filming of a big-budget action movie.
B. A woman’s attempt at reinvention within the film industry.
C. A detective investigating a murder on a studio lot.
D. A rivalry between two screenwriters.
(Short Answer) In The Ballad of Timothy Touchett, what specific challenge does Timothy face when forging the inscription for Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina?
(Answer in one or two sentences.)

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

(Multiple Choice) Why does Irina’s Bolshevik ideology soften over the course of The Line?
A. She becomes disillusioned after the Revolution fails.
B. She begins to enjoy the material benefits provided by Pushkin’s success.
C. She is influenced by religious teachings.
D. She fears being abandoned by Pushkin.
(Multiple Choice) What motivates Timothy Touchett to begin forging signatures for Mr. Pennybrook?
A. He desperately needs money to support his family.
B. He is flattered by Pennybrook’s attention and lacks real‑world experience.
C. He wants to become famous as a master forger.
D. He is blackmailed by Pennybrook.
(Multiple Choice) Why does Jerry go to great lengths to help Smitty in Hasta Luego?
A. He hopes Smitty will repay him with a business connection.
B. He feels a moral responsibility and sees his own flaws reflected in Smitty.
C. He is forced to by the airline staff.
D. He wants to impress Smitty’s wife.
(Multiple Choice) Why does Peggy feel betrayed by John’s secret roller‑skating hobby?
A. She believes he spent their retirement savings on skates.
B. She feels betrayed because he kept a private joy hidden from her, not because he was unfaithful.
C. She is embarrassed that he was seen in public.
D. She thinks the hobby is childish.
(Multiple Choice) Why does Arthur Fein eventually feel gratitude toward Tommy in The Bootlegger?
A. Tommy helped him sell his bootleg recordings at a good price.
B. Tommy introduced him to his daughter Meredith.
C. The accusation forced Fein to confront his grief and begin forgiving himself.
D. Tommy paid for his legal fees.

Theme & Symbol (Questions 14–17)

(Multiple Choice) In The Line, the network of line‑waiters most clearly symbolizes:
A. The inefficiency of Soviet bureaucracy.
B. Community and mutual support in a dehumanizing system.
C. The triumph of capitalism over socialism.
D. The loneliness of life in Moscow.
(Multiple Choice) In The Ballad of Timothy Touchett, the forged signatures primarily represent:
A. The power of wealth and social status.
B. The tension between authenticity and imitation.
C. The value of hard work and perseverance.
D. The dangers of modern technology.
(Multiple Choice) In The DiDomenico Fragment, the fragment of the Annunciation painting serves as a symbol for:
A. Spiritual perfection in Renaissance art.
B. The fragmentation of family legacy and the conflict between heritage and present needs.
C. The greed of wealthy art collectors.
D. The fleeting nature of beauty.
(Multiple Choice) Which theme is most central to Eve in Hollywood?
A. The illusion of identity and the possibility of reinvention.
B. The corruption caused by extreme wealth.
C. The importance of preserving one’s heritage.
D. The unbreakable bonds of friendship.

Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

(Short Answer) Compare the role of deception in “The Ballad of Timothy Touchett” and “I Will Survive.” How are the motives and outcomes of deception different in each story?
(Short Answer) How does the theme of community manifest in both “The Line” and “Hasta Luego”? Provide one example from each story.
(Short Answer) In “The Bootlegger,” Arthur Fein says that the shame of the accusation made him destroy his recordings, even though they helped him grieve. What does this reveal about the relationship between memory, letting go, and external confrontation?

Answer Key

B – Pushkin adopts the orphan Petya and builds a network of line‑waiters, becoming indispensable.
A – Paul Auster discovers forged copies of his own books and reports it, leading to Timothy’s arrest.
B – Smitty’s wife reveals he has been sober for over a year; Jerry confiscates the bottles to prevent a full relapse.
B – John secretly roller‑skates in Central Park as “Gloria.” Nell films it and shows her mother.
C – Arthur Fein recorded concerts so he and his bedridden wife could listen together after each performance.
C – Tech billionaire Michael Reese “wanders” into the family’s restaurant and beats Percy to the deal.
B – The chapter focuses on Eve’s reinvention and ambition in the Hollywood film industry.
Acceptable answer: Timothy must forge a Cyrillic inscription that reflects Tolstoy’s later ascetic style and his paternal affection for his daughter, requiring months of study and practice.
B – Irina softens as she enjoys the fruits of Pushkin’s line‑waiting success.
B – Pennybrook flatters Timothy’s talent, and Timothy, lacking life experience, is easily drawn into the scheme.
B – Jerry reflects on his own flaws and hopes his wife would fight as hard for him as Jennifer does for Smitty.
B – Peggy feels betrayed by John’s separate happiness, not by infidelity.
C – The accusation makes Fein destroy the recordings, which finally allows him to forgive himself and let go of grief.
B – The line‑waiting network embodies community and mutual support in the face of bureaucratic absurdity.
B – Signatures represent the boundary between authentic creation and forgery, a core theme of the story.
B – The fragment symbolizes the fragmented legacy of the family and the trade‑off between art and current needs.
A – The chapter explores reinvention and the blurred line between illusion and reality in Hollywood.
Model answer: In “The Ballad,” deception is motivated by greed and artistic ambition; Timothy forges signatures for profit and is caught by the law. In “I Will Survive,” deception is motivated by a desire to protect a private joy; John hides his roller‑skating from his wife, leading to marital estrangement rather than legal consequences.
Model answer: In “The Line,” Pushkin builds a community of line‑waiters who rely on each other. In “Hasta Luego,” Smitty spontaneously creates a community of stranded travelers at the bar, and Jerry’s sense of duty emerges from human connection.
Model answer: It reveals that sometimes an external confrontation—the public accusation—forces a person to internalize closure. The destruction of the tapes represents Fein’s final act of letting go, showing that memory can hold grief, but shame can trigger the release needed to forgive and move on.

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