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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. When Ballard goes to the garage, what does he see on a rear window sill that reminds him of his own personal possessions scattered on the floor of his car after the crash?

2. What kind of airline pilot removes the young wife from the crash with Ballard?

3. Who dies as the novel opens?

4. As Ballard is taken to the hospital after his crash, he recalls that "Vaughan collected the _____of ________nurses in his photographic albums."

5. At Northolt station, why does Helen ask Ballard to take her to the airport?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ballard crash his car and why is it significant?

2. Where does Ballard take Renata after his release from the hospital and why?

3. What does Ballard believe Helen's motives are for making love with him at the site of the accident and what is their sex act a metaphor for?

4. Describe Ballard and Catherine's marriage and explain its relevance to the novel.

5. What dominates Ballard's thoughts as he recovers in the hospital and why is it significant?

6. How does Dr. Robert Vaughan interrupt Ballard's rendezvous with the prostitute and why is it important?

7. What are Ballard's injuries from his crash with the man and his wife and how does he respond to them?

8. What does the prostitute Ballard hires share in common with his wife and his lover and what do they show about Ballard's character?

9. What kind of car does Ballard buy after his accident and what does it signify?

10. How does Ballard regard his accident and why is it significant?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Ballard, the author, with his eponymous character.

1) What are the similarities and differences between the author and his creation?

2) Why did Ballard name his protagonist after himself?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the treatment of women in "Crash." Provide specific examples to support your statements.

1) How would you characterize Ballard's relationship with the women in his life?

2) What roles do the women embrace and what roles do they reject and why?

Essay Topic 3

Automobiles play a major role in the novel. Choose 2 characters and discuss their relationship to vehicles. What is their purpose in the novel and what are they a metaphor for? Make sure to define metaphor in your discussion.

(see the answer keys)

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