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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. What does the narrator do to try to ease some of the feelings leftover from the affair?

2. What was the narrator unable to tell his lover before he told her he loved her?

3. How was the narrator beginning to feel the day he had to leave?

4. What do the "little questions" (26) the narrator begins to ask himself begin to do to him, as described in the text?

5. What does the narrator worry he did to his lover by telling her he loved her?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the final paragraph, what does the narrator question regarding his affair?

2. What does the narrator see as he walks away from his lover at the end of their trip?

3. How long after the affair does the narrator think his time thinking of her is reduced to about and hour or two a day?

4. In what way is the pain from the affair worse than the pleasure?

5. The narrator says sometimes he feels like a prince or a king. What contrasting emotion does he feel?

6. What types of things does the narrator say bring back to the memory of his lover just as he thinks he is over the pain?

7. How does the narrator say he was beginning to feel when he was getting ready to say goodbye?

8. Describe the first bad time the speaker recalls having with his lover.

9. After adding up the time spent thinking of his lover after the affair has ended, how much does the narrator calculate he has spent?

10. What does the narrator do to try to numb the "large heavy pain" (26) he is left with once the pictures fade?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing Davis's language style and word choice in "Break it Down." What are some words that stand out to you and why? What words are repeated? What words are most impactful? Explain your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay examining the green shirt as a symbol in "Break it Down." In what scenes does the shirt appear? What is the context? How does the shirt develop the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

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.

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