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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. In "Telling Stories," how many stories does Didion say she completed for English 106A?

2. Which Hemingway novel is quoted at the start of "Last Words"?

3. In "Telling Stories," what does Didion say she did in English 106A to make herself invisible in class?

4. In "Last Words," what writer does Didion say she could see Hemingway's influence on while teaching at Berkeley?

5. In "Telling Stories," what publication does Didion work for right after college?

Short Essay Questions

1. What character in A Book of Common Prayer developed from an image of the Panama airport at 6 a.m. that stayed in Joan's mind?

2. What does Didion say about the way she thinks, or does not think, at the start of "Why I Write"?

3. What does Didion say about the first paragraph of Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms in "Last Words"?

4. In "Some Women," what does Didion say about what artists do and do not like to talk about with regard to their art?

5. Describe the scene from "Long Distance Runner" when Didion and her husband arrive at St. Tropez to pick up their daughter.

6. Why does Joan say she has "no talent" (54) for writing short fiction in "Telling Stories"?

7. In "Why I Write," why does Joan say she writes?

8. What example does Didion cite as proof that Hemingway did not want his letters to be published after his death in "Last Words"?

9. In "Last Words," what did Carlos Baker say with regard to why he thought it important to publish Hemingway's letters?

10. How does Didion describe the public image and perception of Hemingway in "Last Words"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose 3 essays from Let Me Tell You What I Mean and write an essay about the significance of the time period for each essay. What commentary might the piece say about any significant event or belief of that time?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing the symbolic significance of San Simeon in "A Trip To Xanadu." What did it mean to Joan as a child? How did it impact her life? What did it mean to others? What was it like for her and her niece to see it in person?

Essay Topic 3

Choose a minimum of 3 essays and to write an analysis of Joan Didion's language style and word choice in Let Me Tell You What I Mean. What are some words that stand out to you and why? What words are repeated? What words are most impactful? Explain your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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