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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. Where does Samuel offer Clyde a job?

2. Why has Roberta come to the lake?

3. Who does Clyde see whilst out shopping?

4. How much money does Clyde's mother ask him to help her raise?

5. Who does Roberta room with?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Roberta feel about Clyde's new friends?

2. How does Dreiser show Clyde and Roberta's fragmented thoughts?

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

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

5. What are Clyde's main worries?

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

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

8. Describe how Clyde kills Roberta.

9. Why does Mason ask for a special session of the grand jury?

10. How does hotel life contradict what Clyde has previously been taught by his family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

An American Tragedy is written in the third person. Why do you think Dreiser chose to write the story in the third person? How do you think the meaning of the story would of changed if it was written in the first person?

Essay Topic 2

Using examples to support your argument discuss the following statement. Dreiser prose is pedestrian, uninspired and cliched.

Essay Topic 3

Mason uses the trial to enhance his political reputation while the defense makes up elaborate lies to persuade the jury to find Clyde innocent. How accurate do you think Dreiser's depiction of American justice is? Do you think it is a negative or positive portrayal or simply realistic?

(see the answer keys)

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