View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Gay tell her writing students that fiction is mostly about?

2. What specific gym does Gay say she joined in the past?

3. What was the first tattoo that Gay got?

4. What is the name of one of Gay's previous books?

5. According to Gay, statistics say that what percentage of Americans are obese?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the difference between Gay’s two wardrobes?

2. What type of eating disorder did Gay struggle with in addition to her compulsive overeating?

3. What does Gay think about the reality television show The Biggest Loser?

4. Why does Gay eventually call her parents and go back home?

5. What kind of a job does Gay have while she is living in Phoenix?

6. Why does Gay do extensive research on restaurants before she goes out to eat?

7. How does Gay characterize her relationship with Jon?

8. What is the reason Gay gives for becoming a vegetarian?

9. What are some of Gay’s challenges with air travel?

10. What does Gay mean by what she calls Lane Bryant fat?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Gay does not tell her family about her brutal rape at the age of 12 for many years, and even when she does reveal the truth, she can not discuss it directly with them. Write an essay detailing why Gay found it so difficult to tell her family about her trauma, citing specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Gay repeatedly uses the word “or” to link two disparate ideas. “I do not know why I turned to food. Or I do” (53). “I hate myself. Or society tells me I am supposed to hate myself” (148). Write an essay exploring Gay’s use of this construction and its effect on her arguments.

Essay Topic 3

There are many public places that produce anxiety for Gay, who explains “There are very few spaces where bodies like mine fit” (202). Write an essay giving specific examples from the text about some of these spaces and explain how Gay reacts to their challenges.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 726 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample