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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. Who does Ignatius want to confound?

2. Who does Mancuso say tipped to look under the bar?

3. Where does Jones fear he will end up?

4. What does Clyde want Ignatius to wear?

5. Who knocks at the door?

Short Essay Questions

1. Summarize the final chapter.

2. What complaints does Clyde have about Ignatius' work in Chapter 9?

3. What does Ignatius hope his new political party will achieve?

4. What does Dorain say about his life and family in Chapter 12?

5. Describe the front page of the newspaper in Chapter 13.

6. What does Myrna say in her letter in Chapter 12?

7. How does Ignatius react to Myrna's presence?

8. Describe Jones' idea for Darlene's act.

9. In what way has Mancuso benefited from the raid at the Night and Day bar?

10. Summarize Chapter 9.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine Toole's writing style. How would you describe Toole's prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? Does he use any specific writing techniques? What meaning does Toole's style give to the story?

Essay Topic 2

Compare the Consolation of Philosophy to the novel. What comparisons can be drawn between A Confederacy of Dunces and the Consolation of Philosophy? Why do they think Ignatius uses Boethius' as a reference point?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss whether you think this statement is true or false: "A Confederacy of Dunces is about nothing and, as such, has nothing of any importance to say about 1960's America." Use two examples from the novel to support your argument.

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