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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. In the essay "The Illusion of Safety," what sort of reactions does Gay experience to her triggers?

2. What does Gay state, in her essay "The Illusion of Safety," that life apparently requires?

3. According to the essay "To Scratch, Claw, or Grope Clumsily or Frantically," how many possible Scrabble words exist in "completely"?

4. In her essay "Some Jokes Are Funnier Than Others," what does Gay say that humor about sexual violence suggests?

5. In the essay "Blurred Lines, Indeed," why does Gay suggest a woman might not want to tell her story publicly?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the essay "Garish, Glorious Spectacles," Gay references the novel Play It as It Lays and introduces the female protagonist Maria. How does Maria relate her experience of motherhood?

2. In the essay "Reaching for Catharsis," what is Gay's primary criticism of the book, Skinny?

3. In the essay "What We Hunger For," why is Gay afraid to say no to her boyfriend?

4. In the essay "Not Here to Make Friends," what does Gay state might be behind the likeability trends in contemporary society?

5. In the essay "How to Be Friends with Another Woman," what is the first and most fundamental rule Gay states?

6. In the essay Peculiar Benefits, what does Gay say is most important to do when it comes to privilege?

7. In the essay "I Once Was Miss America," how does Gay react to Vanessa Williams being crowned Miss America?

8. In the essay "The Trouble with Prince Charming, or He Who Trespassed Against Us," what does Gay suggest that the Fifty Grades series is, at its core?

9. In the essay "Blurred Lines, Indeed," what does Gay admit to hating?

10. In the essay "Garish, Glorious Spectacles," what does the novel Green Girl suggest that all women have within them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay explaining the author's narrative tone toward the repeated attacks on reproductive freedom. Include examples from the text to support your assertion.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay explaining how the author establishes narrative reliability and the impact it has on the reader. What specific techniques and narrative decisions does she make in an effort to be reliable?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing positive and negative societal ramifications of traditional journalism and social media. Include examples from the text and counter arguments/claims in your analysis.

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