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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. Who does Sherman McCoy inadvertently call when he tries to dial Maria?

2. What prominent power-player is arriving at the soiree just ahead of the McCoys?

3. What two words do Reverend Bacon's protest signs juxtapose on the television?

4. From what event in London is Lopwitz calling in during the conference call in Chapter 3?

5. What Edgar Allen Poe story does Lord Buffing reference at the party?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Judy explain Sherman's work to Campbell?

2. What concerns Sherman McCoy about taking Martin and Goldberg to his garage?

3. In Chapter 13, what are Sherman's thoughts about telling Judy the truth?

4. How has Larry Kramer's career track been different from those of most of his classmates at Columbia?

5. Describe Maria Ruskin.

6. How does Tommy Killian explain the criminal justice system to Sherman in Chapter 17?

7. What do Maria and Sherman ultimately decide to do regarding the Bronx car incident?

8. What transformation occurs in Fallow's outlook on life during this chapter?

9. What does Sherman realize about Maria during their conversation in Chapter 11?

10. Describe Reverend Bacon.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tom Wolfe's New York is a den of tigers, comprised largely of ambitious and venal men willing to exploit any angle to accumulate and keep power. Write an essay on the power-brokers of Bonfire of the Vanities:

Part 1) Abe Weiss is a subtly racist politician in a city of minorities. What does he do over the course of the novel to appease his minority constituents? How does he aggrandize himself in doing this? What is his aim?

Part 2) Reverend Bacon is a classic pious charlatan. What does he preach to his constituents and his opponents? What are his true designs in preaching this message?

Part 3) Larry Kramer likes to imagine himself as a savvy player in corrupt system and a defender of the common man. What does he want for his good works? What does he consider his prize for this?

Essay Topic 2

The world of Bonfire of the Vanities does not often reward the good and honest, but several characters are pragmatic and ultimately honest. Write an essay about these characters. What do they understand about the system that allows them to function in it without losing their souls? What do they achieve in their work? Are they ultimately rewarded?

Part 1) Detectives Martin and Goldberg

Part 2) Bernie Fitzgibbon

Part 3) Tommy Killian

Essay Topic 3

Lust for the flesh is the only inclination in Wolfe's novel that supersedes lust for money or power. Write an essay focusing on Sherman, Maria, and Kramer, analyzing how each makes foolish choices because of lust. How are both Sherman and Maria undone by unwise sexual decisions? How does Shelly Thomas become such an idol to Kramer?

(see the answer keys)

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