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. Why does Wallace admire Lynch?

2. Who does Wallace believe is the ultimate outsider?

3. On his second day of the desert competition, why does Wallace repeatedly use the bathroom?

4. When did Lynch first become critically reviled?

5. How does Wallace believe "Lost Highway" can be interpreted?

Short Essay Questions

1. To Wallace, is he still a Midwesterner? Why or why not?

2. What does Wallace observe as ironic in television? Does he see this as detrimental? How?

3. As an adult, what does Wallace see as the purpose of carnivals?

4. How was Wallace able to go to the Desert Competition of the fair?

5. What is a "Lynchian" film?

6. According to Wallace, what does television reference?

7. How does Wallace feel about the setting for "Lost Highway"? Why does he feel this way?

8. Was Wallace a "boring" tennis player? How so?

9. Why did the students argue with their professor's position that works should make no reference to a specific time period?

10. Does Wallace's visit to the stockyard barns affect Wallace at all? Why or why not?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Two of Wallace's essays in the collection discuss his experiences while on writing assignments. Discuss how these essays differ from the other essays and arguments. How does Wallace approach assignments? How does it shape the way he writes?

Essay Topic 2

Wallace at times is in awe of the nature of the world. At the State Fair, he admires the strong sense of community; in discussing Lynch, he praises his artistic vision; on the cruise, he admires the efficiency and luxury. However, he often begins to criticize the weakness of these things. Discuss how Wallace's shifts his opinion, what inspires this, and the experience for the reader.

Essay Topic 3

Wallace is very critical of pop-culture and its prevalence in American art. He fears that it may be all that we've become. Discuss the arguments presented by Wallace and the sources he cites. What is the objective of this discussion? Where does Wallace leave the reader?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 811 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample