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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 is the dinner party where the walker tells all of the male guests he can guess their birthdate in Book 2, Chapter 8: "The Ringing Grooves of Change"?

2. How does the narrator describe the walker's relationship to "why" in Book 2, Chapter 8: "The Ringing Grooves of Change"?

3. Where does the walker rent an apartment in New York in Book 2, Chapter 8: "The Ringing Grooves of Change"?

4. Where did Jaslyn grow up after her mother's death?

5. Who is the doorman that greets Jaslyn when she arrives at Claire's building in Book 4, Chapter 12: "Roaring Seaward, And I Go"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Tillie’s decision at the end of Book 2, Chapter 7: “This is the House That Horse Built”? What leads to this decision?

2. Who is the protagonist of Book 3, Chapter 9: “Part of the Parts”? Where was this character previously introduced?

3. What does Adelita savor in the end of Book 3, Chapter 10: “Centavos”?

4. What sights and sounds are described in the conclusion of Book 2, Chapter 8: “The Ringing Grooves of Change”?

5. Who visits the prison in Book 2, Chapter 7: “This is the House That Horse Built”? Why?

6. Whose case is presented first in Book 3, Chapter 9: “Part of the Parts”?

7. What is the protagonist’s destination in Book 4, Chapter 12: “Roaring Seaward, And I Go”? Why is she going to this destination?

8. Who is the protagonist of Book 4, Chapter 12: “Roaring Seaward, And I Go”? How would you describe the narrative style of this chapter?

9. How does the protagonist of Book 3, Chapter 9: “Part of the Parts” perceive his job?

10. What is revealed of the tightrope walker’s fate in Book 3, Chapter 11: “All Hail and Hallelujah”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the character of Jazzlyn in the novel. How does Jazzlyn die? How does her death impact the main characters in the novel? How does Jazzlyn’s death connect to the tightrope walker’s performance?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Adelita’s story in Let the Great World Spin. How would you define Adelita’s central conflict in the narrative? Is this conflict resolved by the end of the novel? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the character of Claire Soderberg in Let the Great World Spin. What is Claire doing when her character is introduced? What are Claire’s central conflicts in the narrative? How does the language in Claire’s chapter reflect upon her mental state?

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