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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 does Mary Kathleen carry in her plastic bags?

2. At the party, Starbuck feels _______.

3. Why doesn't Mary Kathleen want to live anymore?

4. What is Starbuck looking for as he wanders through the city?

5. Going to a diner, Starbuck is afraid that __________.

Short Essay Questions

1. As far as Starbuck knows, why are he and the other "saints" at Leen's apartment?

2. Were Mary Kathleen's dying wishes granted? How so?

3. What did Starbuck's life with Ruth embody?

4. Why does Starbuck face more jail time after Mary Kathleen's death?

5. Have Mary Kathleen, Clewes, and Starbuck moved past their ugly past?

6. Why are Starbuck's reunions with Mary Kathleen and Clewes a climax of "Jailbird"?

7. Is Starbuck's son actually the monster Starbuck claims him to be? Explain.

8. Does Clewes accept Starbuck's apology? What is his response?

9. What does Mary Kathleen personify? What is Vonnegut saying?

10. How is Vonnegut invoking the senses of Starbuck's experience in his writing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss how "The Sermon on the Mount" applies to "Jailbird."

Essay Topic 2

Discuss how memory affects characters. Include the significance one's memories have on the individual and the individual's actions. How do the memories of one individual affect others?

Essay Topic 3

Real historical events are what drive the story and define the characters of "Jailbird." Discuss the force of reality on this fictional story.

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