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

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did Sacks refer to the doctor's visits as "odious" (Chapter Six, pg 159)?

2. How much did Sacks walk the day after his second surgery?

3. Why did Sacks sit looking out the window for hours on end?

4. Why is the phrase "uneventful recovery" misleading?

5. In Chapter Five, Sacks quotes poetry to explain the importance of music: "You are the music/ While the music lasts." Who wrote these lines?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

On what did Sacks pin his hopes of recovery? How does this describe his mentality? How does it describe his attitude?

Essay Topic 2

How does Sacks describe his first ten minutes of walking again (Chapter Five, pgs 123-24)? How did this return him to the moment of humanity? How does this compare to Donne's quote at the beginning of Chapter Two?

Essay Topic 3

How often does Sacks talk about or subtly reveal the dichotomy between his medical education and his experience as a patient? How does this honesty contribute to his persona as a writer?

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This section contains 290 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample