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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. Where does Styron spend his summers?

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

3. What does Styron believe about a depressed colleague's decision to ride with a reckless driver?

4. What happens to Styron during his museum visit in Paris?

5. What does the suicide of another of Styron's friends lead him to believe?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What did Styron say about his physical condition after he got released from the hospital?

3. How did Styron begin preparing for his death?

4. What event caused Styron to realize he needed to go to the hospital?

5. Discuss why Styron was so appreciative of receiving the del Duca award?

6. For the most part, the people Styron list as suffering from depression are artistic types or philosophers. Discuss why this may be so?

7. What did Styron say was so harmful that doctors were prone to do for depressed people and why?

8. Who did Styron say the depressed person was dangerous to, and why?

9. What is the relationship between artistic temperaments and suicide and what was Styron's appeal in relationship to it?

10. What did the suicides of several of his friends, who had distinguished careers and were obviously intelligent and known for their strong character, cause Styron to do? How was his beliefs opposed to the general public view?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A "touchstone text" is a text that can be used to illustrate examples of components of a type of writing style. "Darkness Visible" could be used as a touchstone text for memoir writing. Some of the components of memoir writing are: 1) focus and reflection on the relationship between the writer and a particular topic; 2) explanation of the significance of the relationship; 3) provides one impression of the subject of the memoir; 4) is limited to a particular phase, time period, place, or recurring behavior in order to develop the focus fully; 5) makes the subject of the memoir come alive; and, 6) maintains a first person point of view. Discuss and give examples from "Darkness Visible" to indicate if Styron is successful with each of the six points.

Essay Topic 2

A memoir is somewhat like a figurative photograph of the writer. It may be like an individual photograph or a group photograph. It offers sensory and symbolic details that paint a picture of the writer at that point in time. Discuss how Styron uses sensory detail and symbolic writing to paint his picture. Give examples from the book of how he does this, including language he may have used.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss what Styron's purpose is for writing "Darkness Visible." What might he want us to know and understand about his subject? Include what he states openly as well as what you understand him to want to say. Why does he think it is important to make us understand this?

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This section contains 1,106 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample