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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. According to Wallace, why does television seem real?

2. As a child, what did Wallace believe the purpose of carnivals was?

3. Why do the students disagree with their professor in "E Unibus Pluram"?

4. How does Wallace describe the public restrooms at the desert competition?

5. After seeing the distressed pigs at the livestock barns, why does Wallace feel hypocritical?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does sexual harassment make a clear distinction between Eastern and Midwestern women for Wallace?

3. Does Wallace admire Lynch? Why or why not?

4. Why does Wallace believe cloggers have more fun than people at a rock concert?

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

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

7. What is a "Lynchian" film?

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

9. How does Wallace suggest a writer rebel against the "new ironic orthodoxy"?

10. Does the plot of "Lost Highway" make sense? Is it supposed to make sense?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Wallace often addresses his Midwestern roots in his essays, implying that the Midwest has shaped him in some way. Discuss how the Midwest has shaped Wallace and the way it is reflected in his writing.

Essay Topic 2

In several essays, Wallace discusses his idols in art and sports. Discuss what Wallace is conveying about himself through his discussion of those he looks up to.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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