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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. How does Cy know his neighbors' names?

2. Why is Claudia obsessed with the baby incubation exhibition?

3. What does Cy realize about the skin after the doctor talks to him?

4. How has Riley eclipsed Reeda?

5. What does a voice advise a soldier to do while he is getting a tattoo?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the narrator say about the light in Brooklyn?

2. How does Cy remember Grace?

3. How does Cy feel about tattooing?

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

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

6. How is Grace described at the beginning of "The Lady of Many Eyes"?

7. When Cy is somewhat inebriated in Vargas, he makes what connection between Grace and his mother and how does he react to that connection?

8. Do you think Sedak deserves what they do to him?

9. When Grace is out of the hospital and visits Cy, how is her body described and how does Cy respond?

10. What does Cy think about Coney Island and how do you interpret that?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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 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?

(see the answer keys)

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