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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 her essay "Tragedy. Call. Compassion. Response," what does Gay say is a tragedy?

2. In her essay "A Tale of Two Profiles," how does Gay describe Tsarnaev as looking?

3. In her essay "The Racism We All Carry," with whom did Gay have a racially-evoked conversation about her neighbors?

4. In the essay "When Twitter Does What Journalism Cannot," on what does Gay say social media help people focus?

5. According to the essay "The Solace of Preparing Fried Foods," what female actress won an oscar for her performance in "The Help"?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to the essay "The Last Day of a Young Black Man," what does Gay think of the film "Fruitvale Station"?

2. In the essay "The Solace of Preparing Fried Foods," why does Gay cry when watching "The Help"?

3. In the essay "When Twitter Does What Journalism Cannot," why does Gay say we need both traditional journalism and social media?

4. In the essay "Holding Out for a Hero," how does Gay define heroism?

5. In the essay "Beyond the Struggle Narrative," why does Gay dislike the film "12 Years a Slave"?

6. In the essay "The Solace of Preparing Fried Foods," why is Gay so disgusted with the novel and film "The Help"?

7. In the essay "When Less Is More," what phrase does Gay repeat and why does she make that decision?

8. In her esssay "Surviving Django," what are Gay's primary criticisms of "Django"?

9. What is Gay's main criticism of "Orange Is the New Black," as analyzed in her essay "When Less Is More"?

10. In the essay "The Alienable Rights of Women," what does Gay mean by suggesting that women have good memories?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Write an essay explaining the author's narrative tone toward the cult of beauty and thinness, citing textual examples from her essay "Reaching for Catharsis." How does she feel about the unrealistic standards of beauty and body placed on women by society?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay explaining the significance of the title of the book. How does the title support Gay's theme of gender inequality and overall narrative tone?

(see the answer keys)

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