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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Gary reveal to Styron about the effect the death of his ex-wife had on him?
(a) He began to suffer greatly from deep depression.
(b) He was afraid she had committed suicide.
(c) He finally felt free again.
(d) He was afraid he would be suspected in her death.

2. What quote from Baudelaire does Styron use to explain his feelings?
(a) "Madness is but a figment of the imagination."
(b) "I have felt the wind of the wing of madness."
(c) "Man's madness is his downfall."
(d) "Madness breeds madness."

3. What does Styron think of these two people, who were close literary friends?
(a) He thinks they both had depression.
(b) He thinks they should have won the award.
(c) He doesn't think their writing was very good.
(d) He thinks they should move to America where they would be more recognized.

4. How does Styron feel about his Connecticut farmhouse?
(a) He hates the house, preferring Martha's Vineyard.
(b) It feels ominous to him.
(c) He thinks it needed lots of work.
(d) He loves spending time there.

5. What is the old term for depression?
(a) Manic depressive.
(b) Mental deficit.
(c) Mania.
(d) Melancholia.

6. Why is Styron so sad about Hoffman's suicide?
(a) He was such a good writer.
(b) He was so valuable to mankind.
(c) He was so young and vital.
(d) He was not really depressed, so why did he commit suicide?

7. How long does Stryon say it will be before he returns to Paris?
(a) A month.
(b) A year.
(c) A couple of years.
(d) Forever.

8. What bothers Styron about his meeting with Gary's estranged wife?
(a) Gary's wife wasn't very involved with her son.
(b) That Gary was letting his estranged wife live with him.
(c) Their son was caught between their differences.
(d) That he didn't understand her deep depression and what it meant.

9. According to Styron, what is between Gaelic and Americana?
(a) The restaurant he went to after getting his award.
(b) Paris museums.
(c) His memoir.
(d) The French bidet.

10. How did Levi's friends and admirers react to his suicide?
(a) They didn't believe it.
(b) They tried to ignore him and his work after that.
(c) They were devastated and grieved over it.
(d) They were mystified and believed him to be weak.

11. What does the suicide of another of Styron's friends lead him to believe?
(a) That he isn't a very good friend to others since he can't help them.
(b) That he would soon have to face the fact that his own suicide is his only way out.
(c) That life isn't worth living.
(d) That his friends must be weak.

12. What bothers Styron so much about not being able to meet Camus?
(a) It meant there was another suicide in his circle of friends.
(b) It meant Camus couldn't hear about winning the award.
(c) Because it meant he barely missed getting to meet the man whose writing he so admired.
(d) It meant he had to go to his luncheon with Lady del Duco.

13. What pressing question does Styron have about the course of depression?
(a) Why do some who suffered commit suicide while others don't?
(b) Why would a person who has everything still be depressed?
(c) Why doesn't the person just cheer up and get over it?
(d) What medicines are effective?

14. According to Styron, who wrote about depression and seemed to really understand it?
(a) Chaucer.
(b) Gary.
(c) Camus.
(d) Dante.

15. Why doesn't Styron recognize Camus's depression?
(a) He didn't know Camus very well.
(b) He didn't believe in depression at the time.
(c) He had never experienced depression himself, so had no real clue.
(d) Camus hid it very well because he was embarrassed by it.

Short Answer Questions

1. What drugs does Styron's doctor give him that are NOT recommended for people with depression?

2. What does Styron say is the most universal symptom of depression?

3. What causes Styron to lose his voice in Paris?

4. What does Styron say the award he received should have done for him?

5. Who is the doctor from Johns Hopkins who gave the name depression to the disease?

(see the answer keys)

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