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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 does Abbott say he thought was crushing him?

2. What did Abbott do to conserve energy during his starvation diet?

3. What is the one thing the prisoners have in common?

4. Where does Abbott say he spent his childhood?

5. What does Abbot say it is now routine for him to try to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is supersanity?

2. What is life like for Abbott in solitary confinement at the juvenile center?

3. What crimes does Abbott say he committed?

4. How does Abbott compare prison to a bull ring and the prisoner to a bull?

5. Who are pigs?

6. Why does Abbott think the law against cruel and unusual punishment is a joke?

7. What does Abbott say prison punishment is aimed at?

8. Why does Abbott say Pigs are so dangerous?

9. Why is murder so common in prison?

10. Why does Abbott describe X's death as a mercy killing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the author's writing style. How would you describe the author's prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? What meaning does the author's style give to the story?

Essay Topic 2

How has reading and studying changed Abbott as a person? What kind of person do you think he would have become if he had a proper education?

Essay Topic 3

Who was Gary Gilmore and why does Abbott talk about him in his letters? Why does Abbott feel able to distance himself from Gilmore's crimes and beliefs?

(see the answer keys)

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