View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What else did the narrator see in his dreams beyond the dark frame of empty space?

2. What question does the narrator recall his lover asking him while they were in bed one day?

3. As time passes, the narrator says thoughts of his lover are more in his ______ than his ______?

4. What word is used to describe the way the narrator's lover responded to his answer to the question she asked him in bed?

5. What was the narrator unsure he would be able to do without his lover?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator describe his lover's behavior during the time they spend together before making love?

2. What does the narrator note about his lover's skin when he talks about waking up and looking at her?

3. Describe the narrators dream, which he has lying beside his lover.

4. What type of questions does the narrator say he begins to ask himself after "the pictures start to go" (25) of his time with his lover?

5. After including the entire day he and his lover spend together and all the bits that add up, how much does he say he has spent per hour?

6. What is the narrator trying to break down at the start of the story?

7. Based on what the narrator says he spent in the first few paragraphs, what did he and his lover do during their trip?

8. What surprising question did the narrator's lover ask him in bed one day? How did he respond? What did she think of his response?

9. The narrator describes a moment in bed when his lover talked nonstop late into the night, her mouth close to his ear. How did he feel during that time?

10. Describe the image of the narrator's love in the coffee shop.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Read a review of "Break it Down." Write an essay about how this review impacted your own views or understanding of the story.

Essay Topic 2

Write a brief essay analyzing the the title "Break it Down." Explore the ways in which this title connects to the themes of the story.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring Davis's decision to write a story in which the main action is in the past and only revealed through the narrator's reflection. How does this impact the reading? What might this say about the themes of the story? Do you agree with the author's choice?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 804 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample