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 see fighting irony as "impossible"?

2. According to Wallace, why does television seem real?

3. Why does Lynch urinate on trees in the middle of Los Angeles while filming "Lost Highway"?

4. Wallace and other press are transported around the fair on a _______ powered tractor.

5. At the beginning of "E Unibus Pluram," what does Wallace describe fiction writers as enjoying?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Wallace, what tendencies does television appeal to? Who is television's target?

2. According to Wallace, what is a "Kmart Person"?

3. Why does Wallace feel the Desert Competition is appropriate for Illinois?

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

5. Does Wallace see the events at the Desert Competition as being safe? Why or why not?

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

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

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

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

In several of Wallace's essays where he discusses his experiences, Wallace often has a new found clarity on himself. While at the State Fair, Wallace discovers the nature and purpose of events and his presence in the culture. While on the cruise, Wallace discovers the nature of his discomfort. Discuss how Wallace develops these enlightenments and the road the reader takes with him.

Essay Topic 3

Wallace, in his alienation, often finds himself embarrassed or ashamed of himself. Discuss the source of Wallace's shame and the angle it presents for the experiences.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 791 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample