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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. According to the essay "A Tale of Three Coming Out Stories," what popular journalist "came out" in 2012?

2. What is the name of the book that Gay references in "The Smooth Surfaces of Idyll," noting that the many of the characters find happiness?

3. In the essay "Girls, Girls, Girls," what group of people are often left out of popular cultures (such as television shows and films)?

4. What short story collection contains many stories with seemingly unlikeable women, according to the essay "Not Here to make Friends"?

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 Peculiar Benefits, what does Gay say is most important to do when it comes to privilege?

2. In the essay "Beyond the Measure of Men," what happens when certain experiences are told through male narratives?

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

4. In the essay "Girls, Girls, Girls," what is Gay's main criticism of the show "Girls"?

5. Accordingly to the essay "A Tale of Three Coming Out Stories," how do people react when a celebrity comes out as gay?

6. According the essay "Reaching for Catharsis," what is a major benefit that a "fat" person has in terms of emotionally healing?

7. In the essay "The Illusion of Safety," what is the purpose of listing all the detailed visceral reactions at the beginning?

8. In "To Scratch, Claw, or Grope Clumsily or Frantically," what disturbing news does Gay receive while at the tournament?

9. In "To Scratch, Claw, or Grope Clumsily or Frantically," how does Gay beat her nemesis the first time?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay asserting and arguing for a new definition of feminism. Include the new definition in the introduction and cite specific examples from the text to support your new definition.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay explaining the significance of the essay title "Reaching for Catharsis: Getting Fat Right (or Wrong) and Diana Spechler's "Skinny." How does the title support Gay's perception of the ways women cope with body image issues, trauma, and healing?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay explaining the author's choice to write individual essays on a variety of different topics instead of one cohesive subject. What purpose does the narrative structure serve in developing and strengthening her concept of "bad feminism"?

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