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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. Who arranges to meet with Charlie at the Art Institute?

2. What does Renata think of Cantabile's suggestion that he rub out Denise for Charlie?

3. Who is Orlando Huggins?

4. Whose long boring dinners, as Djilas describes them, does Charlie think of?

5. Who became Humboldt's best friend after he felt Charlie deceived him?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Denise keep up-to-date on world news to prepare for a cultural evening at the White House?

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

3. How does Charlie come to be blamed for Humboldt's admittance to Bellevue?

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

5. Why does Charlie continue to have a relationship with Pierre Thaxter?

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

7. How does Humboldt end up getting over six thousand dollars from Charlie after Charlie has a successful Broadway show?

8. Which of Charlie's family members does he briefly compare Langobardi to?

9. How is Humboldt acting towards Kathleen after he loses the poetry chair at Princeton?

10. How does Cantabile make it clear to Charlie that he thinks he is vain?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

In one of Charlie's conversations with Dr. Scheldt, he says, "Death is the dark backing that a mirror needs if we are to see anything."

What is the meaning of this statement?

How does the comparison of death and a mirror have special meaning to Charlie?

Essay Topic 3

Alone in his room in Madrid while Roger is at school, Charlie meditates. How is he coming to terms with being a middle-aged man with no woman in his life and no money?

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This section contains 970 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample