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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. Where did the study take place that Hugh describes from the 1970s?

2. What emotion does Mario ask his mother about how to detect?

3. In Chapter 50, why has Hal been called into the office?

4. Where is the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Chapter 40?

5. What term does Orin use to describe the women he is with?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Don so interested in Joelle?

2. What are the contents of the Entertainment?

3. Why does Hal begin to watch his father's films?

4. How does Orin treat women?

5. Describe the memories James had about his father.

6. Why does Joelle wear the veil?

7. What kind of impression do you get from Avril's character?

8. What is an example of James being a genius but inability to deal with real life matters?

9. Why does Mario ask Avril how to tell if somebody is sad?

10. What parallels does Wallace draw between the Entertainment and drugs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What kind of relationship does Avril have with her children? What events have put strain on her relationships? Does Avril love her sons?

Essay Topic 2

What purpose do the names of the years serve? Why does Wallace include a list of all the years? Why did he choose to name them instead of number them?

Essay Topic 3

Hal begins to have a recurring dream about losing his teeth. Choose one of the following prompts about the dream to write about:

(a) How does this dream build tension?

(b) How does it provide insight into Hal's character?

(c) How does the dream serve to foreshadow future events?

(see the answer keys)

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