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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. Why does Cy advise the soldiers to go wash down their arms?

2. Who is Lulu?

3. Of what is Coney Island proof?

4. What does Cy do when he visits Maximus?

5. What is in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do you think Cy returns to Pedder Street in Morecambe?

2. What are the sexual images Cy has of mermaids?

3. How does Cy compare Coney Island to Morecambe?

4. How does Grace send Eva's ghost packing?

5. What are Sedak's motives in attacking Grace?

6. Describe the last image in the book and what you think is its meaning.

7. What secret of Claudia's does Grace hold?

8. Why does Cy not knock on apartment number 104, though it draws him?

9. How are tattooists looked at in Coney Island?

10. Describe the first few days that Cy spends at the hospital.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Part 1, "Salvaging Renaissance," the narrator states that Cy's routine always begins with the question, "Ready?" It asks endorsement of the change Cy and the client are about to effect, an oral signature that Cy will match in ink on skin. Because some customers take the opportunity to flee, Riley berates Cy to comfort customers instead. Tell a story. Tell a joke. Saying nothing is bad form. Answer the following questions and write a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. Compare and contrast Cy's handling of clients both in this part and future parts with the way Riley handles clients.

2. Which "bedside manner" would you prefer? Do you think women would prefer Riley's approach more than Cy's? Or vice versa? What about men?

3. Should Riley be trying to distract a client from changing his or her mind? Should the client not be distracted so that s/he can make a last minute change of mind?

Essay Topic 2

In Part 2, "The Lady of Many Eyes," there is a description of the baby incubation exhibition. 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 the baby incubation exhibition? Could something like that exist except in fiction?

2. How is the baby incubation exhibition related thematically to the rest of the book?

3. Why does Claudia go there week after week? Do you think there would ever come a time when she would stop? When? Why would she stop going there?

4. Why do you think Claudia will allow Grace to lead her away from the baby incubation exhibition? What does this say about the friendship between the two?

5. Would you ever want to go to a baby incubation exhibition? Why or why not?

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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