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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. In Goodbye Watson, what does the narrator say that the track teaches him?

2. Where does Frank go after receiving the object from the clerk?

3. In Rape! Rape!, who does Bukowski see upon getting out of the bathroom?

4. Where is the railroad crew that Bukowski signs up for in Love it or Leave it?

5. What does the man in Great Poets Die in Steaming Pots of Shit think of Bukowski's employment status?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Charles Bukowski's character in Doing Time with Public Enemy No. 1.

2. Describe Duke's relationship with Lala in A .45 to Pay the Rent.

3. How does Mr. Sneed view death in A Dollar and 20 Cents?

4. Describe the town in An Evil Town.

5. How does the boyfriend choose to interpret his girlfriend's insult in Too Sensitive?

6. In Cunt and Kant and a Happy Home, describe the highs and lows of Jack Hendley's horse races.

7. What is Harry driven by in Reunion?

8. Describe the character of Frank Evans in An Evil Town.

9. How does the girlfriend insult her boyfriend in Too Sensitive?

10. What distinct human traits are revealed in Rape! Rape!?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Scenes from the Big Time" and "Nut Ward East of Hollywood" are both two very different stories that still share some similar themes. How do the characters from both stories exhibit animalistic behaviors? Which one is worse? How do you explain their behaviors, and do the characters know how much they exhibit the behavior and actions of animals? Make sure you answer each question with evidence and support from the stories.

Essay Topic 2

Many different ideas and themes are connected in Tales of Ordinary Madness, but "Notes of a Potential Suicide" reveals connections that are more obvious. What connections are revealed in the story? How is the symphony connected to the Air Show event? What makes them memorable or important for Bukowski? Make sure you answer each question with evidence and support from the story.

Essay Topic 3

In Tales or Ordinary Madness, "A .45 to Pay the Rent" and "Doing Time with Public Enemy No. 1" are two different stories about men in some kind of prison. How is Bukowski different from Duke, personality-wise? How do they deal with their different trials in life, and who do you think handles their "imprisonment" better? Make sure you answer each question with evidence and support from the stories.

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