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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. According to Bannister on June 19th, who does Kennedy travel with at all times?

2. What topic does Konno become particularly interested in with Lee?

3. Why does Lee withhold certain information from Konno in their conversations?

4. Who does Oswald's mother blame for her struggles in the Bronx?

5. What does Win suggest will turn Kennedy's attention to Castro again?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Guy Bannister respond to the Kennedy plot?

2. What does Lee dream about doing while in New Orleans?

3. Why is Parmenter especially angry about the Bay of Pigs debacle?

4. Why do Lee and Marguerite argue in New Orleans?

5. Why, according to Parmenter, did the Bay of Pigs invasion fail?

6. Why is Lee banned from the Sproul house?

7. Who is Walter Everett, Jr.?

8. How does Lee meet David Ferrie?

9. What initial actions do the CIA men take for their plan on April 17th?

10. What does Lee Oswald do on his base in Atsugi?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel Libra begins with a single CIA man having a plan to fake an assassination attempt and bringing two colleagues on board. Write an essay about each of these three men. What is each man's vested interest in this plan? What is he revenging? What goal does he wish to attain? In the end, how does this man lose control of the people he brings on board with the plot? What becomes of him?

Part 1) Everett

Part 2) Parmenter

Part 3) Mackey

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the character of Marguerite. How does Don DeLillo use her to frame the story, and to what extent does she reemerge as a sort of Greek chorus, commenting on Lee's fate? Why do her passages often involve the first person? Analyze her personality and neuroses: how do they reveal an ability to see the world as it is?

Essay Topic 3

The political world of the book world is one of interlocking yet competitive covert interests. Write an essay about how these interests affect the life of Lee Oswald. What are each of these interests' objectives, and what role is Oswald supposed to play in these objectives? Which of these covert groups gives up on Oswald and which places nearly all of its hopes on him?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 979 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample