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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. According to Brooks in Chapter 1, what surprises all people when they meet a possible mate?

2. What rare ability does Harold have in high school society?

3. What is the term that Antonio Damasio coins?

4. What book about Classical culture does Ms. Taylor give to Harold in Chapter 6?

5. What subject did John Bowlby focus on in addition to children?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the Composure Class?

2. Who is Elliot, and how did he become involved with Antonio Damasio?

3. How does Brooks use the meeting of Julia and Rob to illustrate the surprise of similarities?

4. How did Julia and Rob find marriage in the early years?

5. What does Damasio determine about living without emotion in Chapter 1?

6. How did Brooks come up with the idea of telling a story to illustrate his social critique?

7. What trauma does Harold experience at the end of Chapter 5?

8. What is Brooks' stated political reason for writing "The Social Animal"?

9. What great skill does Harold have in high school?

10. How does Brooks describe the day-to-day life of the Composure Class?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about the prenatal and early childhood relationship between Julia and Harold. How is Julia's life different before and after she becomes pregnant? What is Harold's goal from the moment he develops sentience? How does he break down Julia's personality, and how does he rebuild her? Discuss how this process leads to a reinvented Julia who makes caring for Harold her primary concern?

Essay Topic 2

The narrative of "The Social Animal" details how two talented, curious individuals achieve great success. Because these are not prodigies, their paths cross many mentors and preternatural talents. Write an essay about three mentors and talents. How does this person interact with Harold and Erica? What information does he or she impart? How does this personal unveil talents in one or both of the protagonists?

Part 1) Ms. Taylor.

Part 2) Raymond.

Part 3) Richard Grace.

Essay Topic 3

Much of the latter half of "The Social Animal" is dedicated to the marriage between Harold and Erica. Write an essay charting the trajectory of this marriage. What attracts Erica to Harold and vice versa? Discuss the conflict that nearly tears them apart and how the two manage to make the marriage work? What is the state of the marriage in the last year of their lives?

(see the answer keys)

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