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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. From what perspective is The Break-up told?

2. What is the name of Lil's sister?

3. What is the name of the second girlfriend in Lust?

4. What is the academy's attitude toward the Lust narrator's behavior?

5. What does Liz want Owen to be?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the difference between men and women in Lust?

2. Describe Emma and Harry's relationship.

3. Describe the relationship between Owen and Tim.

4. What is the purpose of the narrator's first person perspective in Blow?

5. Describe the Lust narrator's habits in choosing sexual partners.

6. What is the relevance of the title Sparks?

7. Describe the tone of the story The Break-up.

8. What is the significance of having an unnamed character in Lust?

9. Why is Lil an unreliable narrator?

10. Describe Bill and the narrator's relationship in Blow.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is dialogue used to advance some of the stories in this collection? What purpose does Susan Minot give to dialogue?

Essay Topic 2

Minot's story The Knot is divided into four parts. Why is this significant? What is the significance behind each part? Why did Minot structure The Knot this way?

Essay Topic 3

Compare this collection of short stories to an outside piece of literature that you have read, a movie, or a song. What parallels exist between these two pieces? What are the differences between the two pieces?

(see the answer keys)

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