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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 Thea throw at Caligula after watching his first fight with a live iguana?

2. Which of the following women is the first woman Augie claims to have known who does not play mind games?

3. How does Augie's friends react to the news that he is moving abroad with Thea?

4. What topic does the magazine "Wilmot's Weekly" discuss?

5. What type of car does Simon drive when he picks Augie up from the airport?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Bateshaw prevent Augie from flagging down a passing ship after their Marine boat sinks?

2. Who is Talavera?

3. What does Mr. Gammick teach Augie about work life?

4. How does William feel about Augie's relationship with Mimi Villars?

5. How does Augie react when he is reunited with Stella, the model?

6. What job does Augie almost take working for Leon Trotsky?

7. What happens when Augie offers to drive his disfigured maid home to her family in Normandy at the end of the novel?

8. How does Augie react when he sees Thea for the first time since their resort stay in Michigan?

9. How has Georgie's life changed in the time that Augie was living in Mexico City?

10. Who collects venomous snakes, and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Because of the desperate financial situation Augie finds himself in, he enters a life of crime with fellow thug, Joe Gormon. First, describe Joe Gormon's character. How did he and Augie meet? Why was Augie seduced by Joe's life of crime? Then, choose one major crime Augie committed while working with Gormon. Who was the victim of this crime? What was the short-term payoff for Augie? In your opinion, was the short-term payoff for this crime worth the long-term effects on Augie's life? Why or why not? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

When Augie was a teenager, he was given the job of working as a butler for William Einhorn. First, describe William Einhorn and his disabilities. Then, describe the tasks that Augie was expected to complete while working for Einhorn. Did Augie do well or struggle in this position? How can you tell? Finally, describe how the professional relationship between Augie and Einhorn dissolved. How did their professional meltdown affect their personal relationship? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

The most constant force in Augie's life, from childhood to adulthood, was his relationship with the eccentric tycoon, William. Describe how Augie and William first met. Then, describe how that relationship changed as Augie reached adulthood. Choose two moments that you believe were turning points in the relationship between William and Augie and describe them. How did these moments lead to the state of the relationship between Augie and William when the novel came to a close?

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