View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the mood in the Riot album?

2. What did some bullies call Elvis before he was a star and had grown side burns?

3. Marcus believes that "There's a Riot Goin' On" is an example of what?

4. What was on the cover of Riot?

5. What is the name of Randy Newman's album that finally gained him a larger audience?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the basic plot for the Myth of Staggerlee?

2. According to Marcus in the section "Sly Versus Superfly," why does Riot matter?

3. According to Marcus in "Elvis," what was ironic about Elvis' natural, spontaneous appearance and sound in his music?

4. According to Marcus in "Randy Newman" what is a shared culture? Why is the shared culture important?

5. According to Marcus in "Sly Stone," why did Sly Stone create the album Riot ?

6. In "Elvis," what is Elvis' "Rockabilly Moment" (141)?

7. In "Elvis," Marcus compares Elvis Presley to Abraham Lincoln, why?

8. In the section "Sly vs. Superfly," what problems emerge from the black movies being made in the early seventies? How is real life different from the movies?

9. Why does Marcus compare the Fresh album by Sly to "Nietzsche's belief that he who gazes into the abyss will find the abyss looking back; that he who looks too long at monsters may well become one" (90)?

10. Why was "Short People" so controversial? What did this mean for Newman?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Band used a lot of symbolism in their songs. Focusing on one or two of the songs discussed in Mystery Train, write an essay examining the symbols used in the song. How does this use of symbolism affect the song? How does it affect your understanding of that song?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout "Sly Stone: The Myth of Staggerlee," Marcus identifies the similarities and differences between the myth and the man. Compare and Contrast Sly Stone and the myth of Staggerlee. Then conclude whether Sly Stone was truly a Staggerlee archetype. Support your conclusions with details from Mystery Train.

Essay Topic 3

Marcus stakes a claim that Elvis Presley is one of a kind and could not be easily replaced. What is unique about Elvis Presley? How does he succeed where other failed? Why is Elvis able to stay at the top when other more seasoned artists fall off the charts and out of mind after getting their break?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,198 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample