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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. What do Scott and Bill argue about in the kitchen?

2. Why does Scott think Bill is as famous as he is?

3. What does Brita catch in the starkness of Bill's eyes?

4. What does Charles say kept buzzing in his head when he went home to sleep after a night out in the fifties?

5. To whom does the author say the future belongs?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Scott say that he tells Bill what he does?

2. What is Karen watching on television?

3. How does Charlie try to get Bill to help him?

4. How does the author describe Reverend Moon?

5. With what does Scott say he has experience since his time in the city?

6. Why doesn't Karen think Scott minds her sleeping with Bill?

7. What has happened to Bill in Chapter Eight?

8. When does Bill say he felt good as a child?

9. What does Brita think is special about the writer's face?

10. Describe the tour of Bill's house.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is Charlie's role in the novel? How would the novel change if he was not one of the characters? How does he wake Bill up to other matters in life? In what way is he the only character that could have done this?

Essay Topic 2

Choose one of the following and discuss how it affects the tone of the book and helps to express character and theme.

1. Setting

2. Point of view

3. Structure

4. Language

Essay Topic 3

Identify the main themes of the story. In what way are these themes relevant to the period? How does the author use character and setting to express these themes?

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