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

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Hannah Arendt's idea about the space without time?

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

3. What concerto did Sacks listen to on a cassette tape?

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

5. How must a person react to the abyss?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"I was rather pleased to be compared with a dog--I much preferred it to being called 'unique.' And it brought home something about the elemental nature of the animal soul and animal motion, and about spontaneity, musicality, animation" (Chapter Six, pg 194). Explain this quote: when was Sacks compared with a dog? When was he referred to as unique? What element of movement and music was contained in this situation?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Note Dr. Swan's attitude toward Sacks's injury compared to Sacks's attitude. How do they differ? In Sacks's attitude toward his own injury, what are the elements of a physician? What are the elements of a patient? What does he think of Dr. Swan's professional opinion?

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