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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 amazes Cy?

2. How does Jonty describe Mr. Riley?

3. For what does Cy get in trouble at school?

4. What does Cy begin to do?

5. What is a key to the customer's personality?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Cy's apprenticeship fare and what is an important lesson Cy learns?

3. What major theme is touched upon in this chapter and how is it expressed here?

4. How does Reeda die and how does this affect Cy?

5. Describe Cy's first interest in a girl and why it is disappointing.

6. How does Riley explain the colors used in tattooing?

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

8. How does Cy's afternoon employment foreshadow his future work?

9. What is the effect of alcohol on Riley?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As Cy is working for Riley after his mother has died, Cy continues to judge life by Reeda's standards for many years after she dies. Eventually, he begins to judge life by Riley's standards. After he has moved to Brooklyn and lives in a world of which Riley nor Reeda know anything, their ideas still greatly influence his interpretations of the life around him. Answer the following questions and write a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. Discuss how Riley's influence is still a large part of Cy's life in America.

2. Discuss how his mother's ideas inform Cy's adult life--be sure to include specific examples.

3. At what point in Cy's life does Cy begin formulating his own ideas about life? Give examples. Do Reeda's and Riley's influence ever completely fade out of Cy's mind?

Essay Topic 2

Grace is probably the most complex character in the book. Most readers might even say that they don't ever fully understand her or her motives. Answer the following questions and write a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. What is it about Grace that intimidates the soldiers in Cy's shop in Part 2, "The Lady of Many Eyes"?

2. Besides being intimidated, the soldiers are also sexually attracted to Grace. Why do you think that is true? Or do you? Which emotion of the soldiers seems stronger--fear or attraction? Is there something about their fear that actually intensifies their attraction?

3. The soldiers imply that Grace's sanity is questionable. What do you think? Is the way she treats the soldiers sane? Why or why not?

4. What do you think is the significance of Grace's action when she confronts the soldiers and licks her thumb and touches the soldier's cheek?

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.

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