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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. Who tells Ballard that there is "a certain moral virtue in being materialistic"?

2. Who does Ballard call the "nightmare angel of expressways"?

3. What kind of films did Ballard and Catherine see at the small art-cinema near their home?

4. What does Helen tell Ballard about why she's at Northolt?

5. Who did Vaughan collide with two months earlier when he lurched from a concealed access road?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of pleasure did Vaughan derive from car crashes and how is it significant?

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

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

4. Who is Elizabeth Taylor and what role does she play in the novel?

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

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

7. How do Ballard, Helen, and Vaughan react to Seagrave's accident at the stock-car races and why is it significant?

8. What is the chronology of the novel and why is it significant?

9. Why does Ballard begin renting cars and what do they signify?

10. What is the point of view in "Crash"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the body as a major theme in the novel. Make sure you define theme in your discuss and use specific examples to address each of the following:

1) How does Ballard describe the human body in terms of its purpose and function?

2) Choose 3 characters and detail how their bodies are affected by violence?

3) Compare Ballard's description of the human body with the body of a car. What are their similarities and differences?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Catherine in "Crash." As Ballard's wife, she plays a critical role in the novel. What motivates her as a character? Is she a flat or round character and why?

Essay Topic 3

The influence of J.G. Ballard as an avant-garde writer is well-documented. Discuss his influence within and outside of the literary community. Use secondary sources to help support your essay response.

(see the answer keys)

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