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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 the cup made from that the centaur offers Geryon in "Geryon's Weekend"?

2. What kind of livestock does the narrator describe Geryon raising in “Geryon”?

3. By whom was Stesichoros supposedly struck blind?

4. What does Geryon's mother tidy on him before he leaves in “Screendoor”?

5. What does Geryon's teacher ask his mother at the parent-teacher conference in “Ideas”?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is described in the poem "Herakles' Killing Arrow"?

2. How is the color red used as a motif in Section 5?

3. How is Geryon's visit to the volcano explored metaphorically in Section 7?

4. Who do you think is referred to by the word "Him" in "Meanwhile He Came"? Why?

5. What is the significance of the word "each" in the poem with the same title?

6. How is the color red employed as a motif in the novel?

7. What supposedly caused Stesichoros' "un-blinding"?

8. What theme is explored in Appendix C: "Clearing Up of the Question of Stesichoros’ Blinding by Helen"?

9. Describe the structure of the poems in the main storyline. How are the poems similar in their format?

10. What is significant about the quote that opens “Autobiography of Red: A Romance”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the significance of Geryon's dog in the novel. How is the dog described? In what poems does the dog appear? What statement is made regarding the dog in the final interview at the end of the book? What do you think is meant by this statement?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the narrative style of the main story in Autobiography of Red. From what point of view is the story related? Is the narrator omniscient or limited in perspective? How do each of these choices impact the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the story of Stesichoros being blinded by Helen of Troy. What caused Helen to blind Stesichoros? How did Stesichoros reverse his fate? What arguments are made regarding this story in Autobiography of Red?

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