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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 in Janet's house is the body of Wendell Omura found?

2. As an educator at Berkeley in 1975, what does Didion do every morning?

3. Who is the witness at the wedding of Inez and Harry Victor?

4. What tropical periodical has been banned in 1969?

5. Which of the following Christians is Inez Victor's grandmother?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the Paul Christian crime scene.

2. Describe Harry Victor's political career.

3. Why are the nuclear detonations in the Pacific more memorable than those in Nevada to Jack Lovett?

4. What is happening to Jack Lovett at the end of Chapter 1?

5. In what way does Inez become comfortable in her own life over the course of the novel?

6. What is Joan Didion's first memory of Jack Lovett and Inez Victor together?

7. Why does Harry Victor defend Adlai's returning to school?

8. How do Janet Ziegler and Frances Landau relate to each other in Jakarta?

9. What does Jack Lovett see from the observation room at Honolulu airport?

10. Describe the famous WNBC footage of Inez Victor.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Living beneath the surface of the narrative is the end of the Vietnam War. In the first half of the novel, Didion makes explicit mention of the Fall of Saigon. Write an essay about this historical moment becomes incredibly important both thematically and in terms of the narrative. Which characters are personally involved in the end of the war? How does defeat in Vietnam ripple through the lives of the characters in the novel and through the history it dramatizes?

Essay Topic 2

The story of DEMOCRACY is the story of Inez Victor's discovery of self. Write an essay about this process, how it occurs, and what Inez discovers through it. What is she forced to sublimate and sacrifice in her marriage to Harry Victor? After the shattering events of the narrative, how does she find peace and satisfaction? In what way is Jack Lovett instrumental in making this transition occur?

Essay Topic 3

In DEMOCRACY, calculated deception is necessary to the survival of political families. As such, Didion pointedly juxtaposes the reality of her characters' lives and the image they attempt to project to public. Write an essay, examining this juxtaposition in three parts:

Part 1) How is the Christian family viewed as a liability in the '72 presidential run of Harry Victor? How does the neo-colonial attitude of the Christians undermine the image that Victor is trying to cultivate?

Part 2) How does Billy Dillon's reaction to the Paul Christian shootings reflect a sense of desperate deception? In what ways does he attempt to spin the story to make Paul Christian seem like a victim after her murders his own daughter? What does this indicate about Billy Dillon's compassion?

Part 3) In what respect is Inez's abandonment of the Christian family with Jack Lovett represent the shattering of the PR illusion created by Billy Dillon? How does he react to this final betrayal?

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