View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is David organizing?
(a) A fundraiser.
(b) A study group.
(c) A band.
(d) A party.

2. What nationality is Kathryn?
(a) Irish.
(b) Italian.
(c) German.
(d) English.

3. The book addresses a group of young people commonly called ________________.
(a) Generation X.
(b) The Beat Generation.
(c) Hippies.
(d) Yuppies.

4. Kathryn believes that Paul is more interested in ________________ than her.
(a) his friends.
(b) cartoons.
(c) sports.
(d) drinking.

5. Which of the following does NOT describe the people at Stofsky's party?
(a) Ego driven.
(b) Philanthropists.
(c) Thoughtless.
(d) Self involved.

Short Answer Questions

1. Both Paul and Gene have written __________________.

2. What does Kathryn later tell Paul when she calls him from work?

3. Where does Gene live with his parents?

4. What does Gene spend his time doing now?

5. Gene tactfully does not mention Paul's _____________________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What is an example of how the post-war search for meaning is taking on toll on people?

2. What is the significance of Paul Hobbes writing a love letter at the beginning of the novel?

3. Describe the scene where Stofsky goes to see Waters in his flat and is picked up by the asylum attendants.

4. What does the aimless behavior of the characters signify in the book?

5. What is the real reason for Paul's irritation toward Pasternak, who is sleeping late in Paul's apartment?

6. What does Paul's letter to someone named Liza signify for the plot?

7. Why is Pasternak standing in front of Christine's house when Stofsky and Hobbes try to find him in the bars?

8. How does the frantic behavior of the characters undermine their relationships with each other?

9. Why are Paul and Kathryn at odds about his writing career and her job?

10. What does the party at Stofsky's apartment serve as a metaphor for?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,045 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample