View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The unnamed narrator recalls that the poet Wallace Stevens had inspired how many of Bernard's favorite poets, including Bronk?

2. How old is the third-grader named Roberto?

3. The unnamed narrator brings a book by which poet to the Mt. Sinai Hospital when he visits Bernard in Part One?

4. The reader is reminded that the unnamed narrator chose to use the name Liza to represent Alex due to what reason?

5. In what state do Natali and Bernard live?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the main difference between the unnamed narrator of 10:04 and the character in the unnamed narrator's novel he calls "the author" (61)?

2. In what setting does the opening scene of "The Golden Vanity" take place?

3. What major decision does the unnamed narrator make when he first attends a showing of The Clock?

4. For what reason is the author so conflicted about the choice "between twilight sedation and local anesthesia" (62)?

5. Discuss an instance when Lerner uses a simile to provide a vivid image of the setting in "The Golden Vanity."

6. How did Alex and the unnamed narrator first meet and when?

7. What event does the author recall at the end of the story "The Golden Vanity," causing him to conclude that the event had never happened?

8. What medical procedure does the author require and why?

9. What situation causes the author a great deal of anxiety when the librarian arrives for their meeting?

10. What action by the author comprises the tender moment he experiences with Liza in a taxi in Part Two: The Golden Vanity?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Lerner's choice to tell the story of 10:04 using the first and second person points of view. What elements of the novel's themes lend themselves to this choice and what are Lerner’s intended effects on the reader?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the ways in which the themes of adaptability and resignation appear within Lerner’s novel 10:04. What message is Lerner sending about these two themes over the course of the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that discusses the symbolism of the cover art chosen for 10:04.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,187 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample