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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 happens to Hildenfisch at the racquet ball club?

2. What is the reason Magnasco does not want to call the police on Humboldt?

3. Where is Charlie's family originally from?

4. What kind of business does Frank Tigler own?

5. What does Charlie want to do when Scaccia demands money from him on behalf of Humboldt?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. Why does Pierre Thaxter rush to get into Cantabile's car and forgo buying the fish knives he had set out to purchase?

6. Why does Charlie believe Americans have trouble keeping secrets?

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

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

9. How do Charlie and Renata first get together?

10. Humboldt cashes in Charlie's "blood-brother" check. How is this done at a very bad time in Charlie's life?

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

Charlie's car is nearly destroyed, and he is furious with Cantabile. Why does Charlie relent and decide to give Cantabile the $450 the man says Charlie owes him when Charlie was told that Cantabile and his cousin cheated at poker? Delve into Charlie's personality and those around him.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,130 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample