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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 did Oskar tell Erich he aspired to be?

2. What is the last name of Erich's old friend, Oskar?

3. How did Oskar die, according to Erich in Part I, Chapter 7?

4. How does the Spanish novelist help Maurice, according to Maurice in Part I, Chapter 7?

5. To what city do Erich and Maurice travel in Part I, Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened when Erich and Oskar took a biking trip together?

2. How does Erich meet Maurice, and what are his initial impressions of the young man?

3. Who is Garrett Colby and how does Maurice interact with him in Part II, Chapter 1?

4. What moves Erich to jealousy while he and Maurice are in Madrid?

5. According to Edith in Part II, Chapter 2, what happened to Erich and Dash?

6. What happened on Oskar's birthday, according to Erich in Part I, Chapter 6?

7. What happens to Erich during the panel event in Part I, Chapter 6? How did Maurice respond?

8. What offer does Erich make Maurice in Part I, Chapter 2? How does Maurice respond?

9. How did the friendship between Oskar and Erich end, according to Erich in Part I, Chapter 7?

10. What does Maurice aspire to be? What obstacle does he face regarding his dream, and what advice does Erich offer him in Part I, Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Erich and Dash. How are they (and their fates) the same? How are they (and their fates) different? Why does each fall victim to Maurice?

Essay Topic 2

Choose three characters (other than Maurice) and explain the role of writing as it pertains to their characters and the plot.

Essay Topic 3

According to Gore Vidal in the first interlude, what happened during Erich’s youth was “all just a circumstance of birth” (111). To what extent is Erich to blame for his actions as a youth? To what extent did he pay for his crimes? Was his fate just?

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