View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Billy Boy hire Henry to wash?

2. When is the only time Willie will allow his girls to drink?

3. What does Gertrude reveal to Henry in this section?

4. What does Henry tell the interviewer is his real job?

5. What does Henry vow to be in this section?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Henry's opinion of New York?

2. How does Henry meet Gertrude?

3. What is Willie's relationship with the three girls?

4. What does Henry do while his parents are away?

5. Why does Henry decide it is time to go back to Los Angeles?

6. How does Willie's death affect the girls?

7. What does Henry promise himself in the fourth section?

8. What is Henry's frame of mind when he arrives in New Orleans?

9. Summarize the fourth section.

10. How does Henry meet Laura?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are the main turning points of the book? How does Bukowski develop his story to get to each turning point? What happens to the story after a major turning point?

Essay Topic 2

How does Bukoski represent sex? How did people in the 70s perceive Bukowski's representations of sex? How do people today perceive Bukowski's representations of sex?

Essay Topic 3

What is the American dream? What does FACTOTUM say about the American dream? What is Bukowski's opinion of the American dream?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 668 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample