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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. For what event has the narrator obtained an invitation?

2. What have they resolved to leave in Clara's office?

3. What pain medication is their mother taking?

4. What are the bouncers dressed up as?

5. Before implementing his plan, what does the narrator compare himself to?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of the rolls of bread?

2. Why is it ironic that the narrator snorts cocaine behind the library?

3. What exhibit in the museum is the narrator's favorite?

4. How has the narrator gotten the ticket for Amanda's fashion show?

5. What happens when the narrator and Amanda speak?

6. Why does the narrator leap out of the limo to escape his conversation with Bernie, the drug lord?

7. What kind of relationship did the narrator have with his mother?

8. Why is a home-cooked meal such a novelty for the narrator?

9. Why is the narrator unsettled by the absence of Amanda's mannequin?

10. What elements of the fashion show does the narrator find contemptuous?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Vicky and Amanda.

1) What are some of Amanda's qualities? How do they mesh with the narrator's when the two first met?

2) What are some of Vicky's qualities? How are they a match or a mismatch for the narrator?

3) Which relationship is more promising for the narrator---a reconciliation with Amanda or new chapter with Vicky? Which woman is more appropriate for him?

Essay Topic 2

The narrator and Amanda were obviously mismatched.

1) How is the narrator's love of fiction detrimental to his relationship with Amanda?

2) What fantasies do the narrator and Amanda make of each other?

3) Though Amanda is portrayed as the shallower character, she is the one to end their fantasy. What does this imply about Amanda?

Essay Topic 3

What is the narrator's lowest point in the novel, the one that drives him to improve? Is it true that one must hit rock bottom in order to bounce back? What is the difference between the narrator's escapades in nightclubs in the beginning of the novel vs. the end of the novel? Why does he keep seemingly reliving the same night over and over again?

(see the answer keys)

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