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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. The narrator describes that after watching his lover sleep he finally falls asleep "lightly" (23). Why?

2. What is the narrator trying to do at the start of the story?

3. What color are the narrator's lover's eyes?

4. What were the narrator and his lover doing in the "very clean white place" (24) he recalls?

5. Why was the narrator surprised by the question his lover asked him in bed?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the feelings about the narrator's affair linger after it ends at first?

2. 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?

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

4. How much does the narrator first say the cost of their love making was each hour?

5. 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?

6. 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?

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

8. Why does the narrator choose not to kiss his lover's eyelids as he wants to while he watches her sleep?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author offers very few details about each character. However, based on what is included, write an essay exploring the narrator. Who is he? What might he do for work? Where does he live? What is his backstory?

Essay Topic 2

Write a detailed analysis of tone in Davis's "Break it Down." Include whether the tone changes or remains the same. If it changes, include details on when, why and whether this change is effective.

Essay Topic 3

What is the significance of the narrator breaking down the financial cost of his recent affair? To what conclusion, if any, do his calculations lead?

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