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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 Bellocq set on fire?

2. What breaks Pickett's elbow and damages his knee?

3. Webb finds the connection between social Buddy and ________ Bellocq odd.

4. How many scars does Pickett have on his face?

5. What doesn't Buddy feel from Nora after the brawl?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the fight between Buddy and Pickett start?

2. What was unfortunate for Pickett in his fight with Buddy?

3. How do Jaelin and Buddy approach Buddy's affair with Robin similarly?

4. What happens to Buddy's view of the women in his life at the end of Chapter 2? Why does this happen?

5. In his description of the fight with Pickett, how does Buddy interrupt himself?

6. What analogy does Buddy use to describe Webb's intervention?

7. How does Buddy feel about John Robichaux?

8. What is Buddy's relationship with Bellocq like?

9. At the end of Chapter 2, is a new crisis inevitable? Why?

10. Can Buddy trust people?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Buddy is obsessed with death. Throughout the book, the literal and figurative deaths play a large role in the shaping of characters and the narrative. Discuss the nature of death in "Coming Through Slaughter." What does it mean to Buddy? How does it shape the story? What is significant about death in the book?

Essay Topic 2

Buddy is not prone to violence. In prison, he abstains from the destructive behaviors of his peers. However, he does fantasize about violence. Discuss Buddy in relation to violence. How does he approach it? Why does he abstain but fantasize?

Essay Topic 3

Many of the primary characters in "Coming Through Slaughter" are musicians. Music weaves itself into all their lives and into the narrative. Discuss the use of music in the book and how it influences characters and the narrative.

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