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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. Of what object do the girls' eyes remind the narrator?

2. How does the narrator convince himself to stay out with Tad instead of just going home?

3. What kind of ship does the narrator watch make its way across the river?

4. Who is The Druid?

5. What happens to the narrator's deadline on the French piece?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator describe his mother's reaction to Amanda?

2. Why is the narrator so upset when he forgets Megan's bagel?

3. What was Amanda's home life like when she met the narrator?

4. How does the narrator's obsession with Coma Baby reflect on his own life?

5. Why does the narrator have trouble being in his apartment?

6. Why is the narrator hesitant to go to lunch with Alex Hardy?

7. How do the narrator's inner identity and his outer persona conflict?

8. To what does the narrator attribute his need to belong and feel desired?

9. Why does the narrator feel he is so different from the Hasidic Jews he encounters on the train?

10. How is the narrator out of place in the sports bar?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Debatably, the narrator's closest friend is Tad Allagash. How does Tad exemplify the idea of "Bright Lights, Big City?" What is Tad's philosophy in life? Is it easy for the narrator to buy into this philosophy? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The narrator is obsessed with the missing person poster.

1) Why is he so affected by the missing person? In what ways does he feel similar to the missing person? Specially, talk about his relationship with his family.

2) If the narrator were to post a missing persons sign, who would be on the sign? Why?

Essay Topic 3

After Amanda's departure, all the narrator has left of her is a mannequin at Saks Fifth Avenue.

1) Describe the beginnings of their relationship. How did they arrive at such a dramatic point?

2) The narrator and Amanda are very different people. Could this have attributed to their downfall as a couple?

3) How is Amanda's mannequin representative of Amanda herself?

(see the answer keys)

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