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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 described in the photograph in the opening sentence of “Photographs: The Old Days”?

2. Where is Geryon's mother described when he returns home in “Fruit Bowl”?

3. What color is the awning over Harrods?

4. What are Herakles and Ancash recording across South America in “Fast Forward”?

5. Where does Geryon encounter Ancash after leaving his hotel room in “Photographs: Like and Not Like”?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the setting described in “Huaraz”?

2. What does the term “Mitwelt” refer to in this poem?

3. What is significant about the name of the volcano that Geryon goes to visit with Ancash, his mother, and Herakles?

4. What is suggested by the flushed cheeks of the passengers on the plane in “Gladys”?

5. What does the flour represent in “The Flashes in Which A Man Possesses Himself”?

6. What memories come to Geryon in “Tango”?

7. What is significant about the reference to Helen in “Interview (Stesichoros)”?

8. What is significant about Ancash's legend of his people in “Eyewitnesses”?

9. Where in the novel does the climax occur?

10. What is significant about the yellowbeard in Autobiography of Red?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of identity and the "Other" in Autobiography of Red. How are these themes developed through character, setting, and action? How does the author support these themes through symbolism and imagery?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the irony in the poem titled "Justice." From whom does the narrator claim Geryon first learned about justice? How? What actions are detailed in the poem?

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?

(see the answer keys)

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