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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. What is Sammy's age at the beginning of the novel?

2. What do Joe and Sammy argue with the Empire Novelties editor and owner about?

3. Who does Joe have rage for?

4. On what floor is Empire Comics located?

5. Who invites Sammy and Joe out to dinner?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the first step in Joe's slide into madness?

2. Why does Sammy marry Rosa?

3. What is one subtle characteristic of Sammy that becomes more apparent at the party he attends with Joe?

4. According to Joe, what is the most important question the men must ask themselves when creating comics?

5. Who is the soul and driver of the comic book project?

6. Describe the journey that Sammy and Joe take in the first few chapters.

7. Describe Sammy and Joe's skills and abilities.

8. In what way does Joe's life imitate art?

9. After reading about the story of an alleged jumper in the paper, why does Joe follow through with his plan in the end?

10. Why is isolation a theme in the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does retribution play a role in the book? Which characters seek revenge? Which characters are victims of retribution?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the use of juxtaposition in this book. For example, how are Luna Moth and Rosa juxtaposed? What are the differences between Sammy and Joe and how do they play off each other? Choose one other pairing from the story to analyze.

Essay Topic 3

What role does background information play in the story? How is background information revealed to the reader? Why is this background information important for the reader to know? Is any of it unnecessary?

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This section contains 645 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample