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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 Geryon doing when the phone rings in the beginning of “Tunnel”?

2. Where does Geryon go with the yellowbeard after the lecture in “Distances”?

3. Where is Geryon in the opening of “Kiss”?

4. The opening sentence of “Aeroplane” indicates that it is always what in the upper atmosphere?

5. Why does Ancash hit Geryon in “Photographs: Like and Not Like”?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Ancash? How is this character introduced?

2. What does Geryon's photograph represent in “Distances”?

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

4. What is significant about Geryon's job in "Freedom"?

5. How do the soldiers describe the volcano in “Photographs: I Am A Beast”?

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

7. What is the central conflict in “Photographs: Like and Not Like”?

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

9. How have Geryon's circumstances changed in Section 8?

10. Who is Lazer? How is his character introduced?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Geryon's family members and discuss the dynamics of his family. With whom is Geryon closest growing up? Why? How would you describe Geryon's relationship with his older brother?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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