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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 article of writing does Charlie consider selling before realizing no one would be eager to buy it?

2. What does Humboldt say about Citrine winning the Pulitzer Prize for his book?

3. When is Lucy due back from Nevada?

4. How much money does the Judge believe Charlie can afford to pay Denise each year?

5. Why does Cantabile take Charlie to the Playboy Club?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Humboldt believe Kathleen's father did to her to keep her away from Humboldt?

2. What does the protagonist mean when it is stated that, ". . . after all Broadway adjoins the garment district and blends with it?"

3. What does Canabile seem to want from Charlie other than help for his wife?

4. How has Cantabile's attitude towards Charlie changed?

5. When Charlie returns to Chicago after ignoring Humboldt on the streets of New York, he tells Denise about the incident. What, in his story about being on the helicopter with Dr. Longstaff from the old days, is ironic?

6. What are Charlie's ideas concerning boredom?

7. Why does the Judge want to Charlie to post a large bail bond?

8. When Charlie is being told by Judge Urbanovich that he cannot be allowed to dabble in the middle class and then drop out, how does Charlie react?

9. Why does Charlie think of the Mozartian Italian Denise likes, "Tutto tutto gia si sa" (Everything, everything about me was known)?

10. Why does George's beryllium mining scheme not seem as far-fetched to Charlie now as it once did?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Charlie feels he must leave New York and forgo travel to Europe because his brother, Julius, is about to undergo open-heart surgery in Texas. Renata bases her refusal to accompany Charlie to Texas on the notion that she would appear as a gold-digging bimbo if she went in any role but wife.

Why is Charlie reluctant to see Renata go off to Milan on her own? What does he fear will happen?

Even though Charlie may love Renata for many reasons beyond the shallow ones, he is clearly not ready to make the matrimonial commitment. Why not?

Can Charlie have his cake with Renata and eat it too? Does he even want to?

Essay Topic 2

Renata makes it clear to Charlie that he thinks too much about death. In what ways does Charlie feel Renata also has a deep connection with death?

Essay Topic 3

Charlie's brother, Julius, is about to undergo heart surgery. He is seen as being very overweight and a keen businessman.

Compare Julius to Humboldt. Also compare their relationships with Charlie.

(see the answer keys)

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