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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 is the narrator's current obsession?

2. Who is another person the narrator seeks out for sexual relations?

3. The person in #73 also admits to ____________________.

4. What does the narrator enjoy about being with Maria at the location in #18?

5. Maria thinks that American life is essentially ___________________.

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator meet Tex and Morris?

2. How is Buddhism connected to the narrator's seemingly paradoxical desires for sex with men and also freedom from that desire.

3. With whom does the narrator engage in heterosexual activity and what was the basis for the connections?

4. What is the premise of "The Beautiful Room is Empty"?

5. How does the narrator compare his life to the life of the Chinese woman he meets?

6. Describe the narrator's first year experiences at college.

7. What is the double-edged sword of the narrator experiencing gay sexual activity?

8. What is the significance of Betty and Kay to the narrator's life?

9. What are some of the narrator's fundamental beliefs about sexuality?

10. How does the narrator's subway ride further alienate him from what he thinks is normal life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The theme of struggling with personal identity is an important one in this novel. Describe how it extends through setting, character and issues and provide examples for each.

Essay Topic 2

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of the search for love. Identify at least two themes about love in the book. Then cite an example to support each theme you name.

Essay Topic 3

"The Beautiful Room is Empty" is a classic coming of age story. What does that classification entail? Why does this novel fit into this category? Explain.

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