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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What did Styron's friend, Abbie Hoffman, do professionally?
(a) He was a political activist.
(b) He was a fellow writer and philosopher.
(c) He was Styron's psychiatrist.
(d) He was a family member so depressed that he had no profession.

2. In what way does Styron's depression come upon him?
(a) It hit him suddenly one night.
(b) A slight sadness intensified rapidly over time.
(c) He really didn't know how it happened.
(d) Slowly in increments.

3. What does Gary confess to Styron about Camus's depression?
(a) He had tried to convince Camus to get help.
(b) He knew Camus was going to commit suicide and did nothing about it.
(c) He didn't believe Camus really suffered from depression.
(d) That Gary saw the same depression in himself, though it was controlled.

4. What is Styron not able to recover?
(a) His friendships.
(b) His lucidity.
(c) His family.
(d) His fame.

5. In Chapter 3, what event causes Styron to more fully explore the relationship between depression and suicide?
(a) The suicide of Abbie Hoffman.
(b) Styron sunk deeper into a depressive state.
(c) His whole family rejected him.
(d) His wife left him.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Styron call the DSM?

2. How does Camus's essay influence Stryon's philosophy of life?

3. Sir Walter Scott and the Brontes linked what two illnesses interchangeably?

4. How does Styron's body feel in the beginning of his depression?

5. What bothers Styron about his meeting with Gary's estranged wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the paradox Styron described about the hospital as opposed to his own home?

2. How did Dr. Gold's approach compare to the way the parish priest approached Emma in "Madame Bovary"?

3. Why was depression such a hard thing for Styron in 1985?

4. What was special about Styron's situation with depression?

5. Why was the suicide of Albert Camus and Romain Gary so devastating to Styron?

6. What other changes occurred with Styron beside mental distress?

7. What is known about the causes of depression, according to Styron?

8. Styron gave little credence to his outpatient therapy, but said what about the 50 minutes involved?

9. What happened to Styron's body as he succumbed to depression?

10. How did Styron describe the internal struggle with depression? What was causing this internal struggle, beside just the depression?

(see the answer keys)

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