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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. Sherman McCoy privately refers to the overly thin women of these Park Avenue functions as "Social (blank)."

2. Which of the following characters is not present in the meeting at the beginning of Chapter 16?

3. Why does Larry Kramer wait in his bedroom before going out into the main room?

4. What is the name of the particular French bond that Sherman is currently buying?

5. What is Tommy Killian most concerned about in the immediate future?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How do the Brits at Leicester's generally pay their tabs?

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

4. After hearing Sherman's story, what is Freddy's concern?

5. How does Annie Lamb's situation make her cooperation with the police difficult?

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

7. Describe Sherman McCoy's history with Freddy Button.

8. What does Sherman discover in the papers in Chapter 14?

9. What are Kramer's principle concerns about the Henry Lamb case?

10. What is the Mayor's principle fear during his town hall in the Prologue?

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

Using the high society parties in Bonfire of the Vanities, write an essay about Wolfe's attitude toward the ceremonies of the upper-crust of New York society. What is expected and decried within these functions? Use specific characters (Judy McCoy, Bunning) and their interactions with Sherman McCoy to argue your point.

Essay Topic 3

Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities is famous for its honest and vicious portrayals of persons of all races. Under the heavy satire of figures like Reverend Bacon and Roland Auburn are some maudlin and disturbing observations about black urban poverty. Write an essay on this topic:

Part 1) Early in the novel, Sherman panics while at a payphone in the rain because he sees a young black man approaching him. What assumptions does Sherman make about New York? What does this say about the social divide in New York?

Part 2) When at last the truth of why Henry Lamb and Roland Auburn were together the night Henry was run down comes out, Weiss quickly buries it. Why was Henry hanging out with Roland? Why didn't he leave when things turned violent? What constant pressures were on this nonviolent young man?

Part 3) What happens to the Lamb family at the end of the novel? How are they the ultimate losers in this elaborate game of politics, media, and legal maneuvering?

(see the answer keys)

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