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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. Who does Adam especially have contempt for?

2. What does Isabel always wear in her hair?

3. What does Adam tell Isabel to hurt her feelings in Part II?

4. Who is Adam's contact at the foundation?

5. Who encourages Adam to read his poetry in front of people?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Adam intensely suspicious of when it comes to art?

2. Who does Adam intend to hurt buy telling her about his reading he did not invite her to?

3. What does Arturo do for Adam as Adam reads his poems?

4. What personal story does Teresa tell Adam the night they first meet?

5. In Part II, what terrible story does Cyrus tell Adam?

6. Who performs very dramatically ahead of Adam's readings in Part II?

7. What is the misunderstanding between Adam and Isabel when they first meet?

8. What does Adam tell Cyrus about his responsibility for the stranger's death in Mexico?

9. How does Adam communicate with his friend Cyrus?

10. What is the first unkind thing Isabel says to Adam?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What political events are happening in the world that makes Adam wary of how foreigners might perceive Americans, and why does he feel this way? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

How does Lerner treat the topic of mental illness in the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How and why could this novel be classified as a bildungsroman? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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