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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 person in Gay's family initially reached out to her after she disappeared without telling them where she was going?

2. What kind of game did Gay play at the Casino while a PhD student?

3. How old was Gay when she began her PhD program?

4. Where did Gay move immediately after staying with her parents for awhile in Omaha?

5. Who transferred to the same university Gay went to for her PhD?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Gay say that gaining so much weight made her feel safer?

2. What was Gay's relationship to food like before her rape?

3. Why did the author gain weight so rapidly once she went to boarding school?

4. Where did Gay's rape take place, and how does she reference the location throughout the rest of the book in how she refers to herself?

5. What advice about writing did Gay’s teacher, Mr. McGuinn, give to Gay?

6. What habit did Gay pick up at the weight-loss camp she attended in high school?

7. How did the boys who raped Gay treat her afterwards?

8. Why did Gay like the idea of going to boarding school when she was 13?

9. Before she turned to food, what activity did Gay find comfort in as a child?

10. What are some of the reasons Gay gives explaining why Hunger was a difficult book for her to write?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay exploring the significance of the word “hunger” - including its multiple meanings - to the author Roxane Gay. Use specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Gay describes conflicting feelings toward cooking. Explain some of her positive and negative attitudes about cooking, citing specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Writing has been a positive keystone of Gay’s life from when she was very young. Write an essay analyzing the importance of writing throughout the author’s life, paying particular attention to how it has helped her express and explain her struggles.

(see the answer keys)

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