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

Short Answer Questions

1. What kind of business does Frank Tigler own?

2. What is the title of of Von Humboldt Fleisher's book of ballads?

3. Who is Pierre Thaxter?

4. Why does Charlie enter a men's room stall as Srole is telling him what he can do to protect his money?

5. Why does Humboldt say his mother used to send him to Chicago?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Charlie think of the Mozartian Italian Denise likes, "Tutto tutto gia si sa" (Everything, everything about me was known)?

2. Humboldt basically dies a failure in society's eyes. What, upon his death, brings him back to prominence?

3. Which of Charlie's family members does he briefly compare Langobardi to?

4. When Charlie returns to Chicago after ignoring Humboldt on the streets of New York, he tells Denise about the incident. What, in his story about being on the helicopter with Dr. Longstaff from the old days, is ironic?

5. Why does George's beryllium mining scheme not seem as far-fetched to Charlie now as it once did?

6. Charlie Citrine, as an elderly man, looks for something along the curbs in Chicago. What does he search for and why?

7. What does Charlie think Cantabile's rank and place in the organized crime world is?

8. How does Cantabile make it clear to Charlie that he thinks he is vain?

9. Why does Pierre Thaxter rush to get into Cantabile's car and forgo buying the fish knives he had set out to purchase?

10. According to Humboldt, what is the only art intellectuals can be interested in?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast these characters: Von Humboldt Fleisher and Charlie Citrine.

Essay Topic 2

Consider Demmie's character. In Section 4, she is portrayed as both the "farmer's daughter" and a young lady of breeding. How is Demmie expressed to Charlie through her sleep patterns? How many layers are there to Demmie, especially as she sleeps?

Essay Topic 3

Seeing Section 8 as an allegory of the struggle between the creatively motivated artist and a materialist social order, what is Charlie's great sin--the one that is likely to cost him his livelihood?

What is Charlie's worth as seen by society?

Consider all that has occurred in the judge's chambers.

(see the answer keys)

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