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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. What does Reeda admit to Cy?

2. What does Cy like around him?

3. What does Cy realize about life?

4. What amazes Cy?

5. What's the only way Riley would consider himself a father figure to Cy?

Short Essay Questions

1. What indication is there that "times are changing" even in a small town such as Morecambe? Why do you think this is so?

2. Describe Riley's death and Cy's response.

3. What experience causes Cy to no longer be able to sleep under tight blankets?

4. How does Cy slip into starting to tattoo instead of just watching Riley and what is Riley's response?

5. How does Cy's mother Reeda respond to his possible apprenticeship with Riley?

6. What is the effect of alcohol on Riley?

7. Describe the type of clients that are often drawn to Riley's tattoo parlor.

8. How does the topic of sex give Cy some not-so-great memories?

9. How does Riley come to offer Cy an apprenticeship and what is Cy's response?

10. How does sex figure into Riley's tattoo business?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Part 2, "Babylon in Brooklyn," Cy meets Artura and Claudia Overas.

1. Compare and contrast Cy and Artura.

2. Compare and contrast Grace and Claudia.

3. Why do you think Claudia has a larger role in the novel than Artura, who is after all, a tattoo artist like Cy and it is a book predominantly about tattoos?

Essay Topic 2

Near the very end of the book after Cy has returned to Morecambe, he takes on an apprentice, Nina Shearer. Choose one of the following and write a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. Compare and contrast Nina's behavior as an apprentice to Cy's behavior as an apprentice.

2. Compare and contrast Riley's teaching methods to Cy's teaching methods.

3. Discuss how effective Riley and Cy's teaching methods are and Cy and Nina's learning methods are and the strengths and weaknesses of each. To which teacher would you more likely be similar? Which apprentice?

Essay Topic 3

In part one, "Bloodlights," there is imagery surrounding the color red and blood; the basins of red expectorant; the blood from abortions; the red of the Aurora Borealis lights. Since even in this chapter most readers know that the story is about a tattoo artist, red seems to be a compelling color to wrap around the novel. Choose one of the following questions and write a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. Follow the images of blood and the color red that occurs throughout the novel and interpret the individual images and then write an analysis of the symbolic meaning of the color red and blood.

2. Write an essay on the use of symbols in this book. Choose three symbols that seem important and discuss their significance and meaning, using specific examples. How does the use of the symbols enhance your understanding of textual meaning? Or does it? How would the text change if the symbols were not used?

3. Write an essay on the use of symbols in our everyday life. Choose several symbols that seem universal to American culture and discuss their significance and meaning. Why are symbols used? Are they a sort of shorthand to express concepts? Use specific examples.

(see the answer keys)

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