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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 does Ratterer order with his wine?

2. Where do Clyde and Roberta decide to find a doctor?

3. Whose house is the Now and Then dance held at?

4. Why has Roberta come to the lake?

5. Who does Roberta's behavior remind Clyde of?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do you think is Clyde's main weakness?

2. How do the authorities react to Roberta's death?

3. How does Roberta and Clyde's relationship become even more complicated in book 2, chapter 38?

4. What information does Clyde give the authorities?

5. How do the autopsy results change the whole perplexion of the case?

6. What do you think drives Clyde to pursue Sondra and ignore Roberta?

7. How does Clyde try to appeal to his rich friends?

8. What impression does Clyde give to the onlookers?

9. How do social mores and class structure hold Clyde back?

10. What part have truth and justice played in the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Both Clyde and Roberta are restricted by their moral upbringings. Using two examples from the book discuss how their upbringings affect their decisions in the book. Do you think their moral upbringings were more destructive than helpful?

Essay Topic 2

Dreiser was a socialist. Using two examples from the novel, discuss the ways the story reflects Dreiser's political ideas?

Essay Topic 3

Clyde kills Roberta because he desperately wants to be part of the upperclass. How different do you think the lives of the upper class and working classes were? Can you understand why Clyde was so desperate to escape his impoverished background?

(see the answer keys)

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