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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 does Rufus say he started learning about oppression?

2. Who solicits Penny for sex when she is leaving after arguing with Rob?

3. What word used in the novel refers to the practice among those with power or influence favoring relatives or friends by giving them jobs?

4. What PATH station stop does Penny get off of when she goes to find her deceased grandparents' house in Jersey City?

5. What is Penny's father reheating at the barbecue pit when Penny approaches him in the beginning of the novel?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who are the inhabitants at Nicotine when Penny first visits?

2. Who is Naomi? What are Penny's and Norm's thoughts about her?

3. How is Norm described in 2005? What is his relationship with Penny like based on this scene?

4. What leads up to the sexual encounter between Penny and Jazz?

5. Where is the opening scene of the novel set? What is the significance of this setting?

6. What is the relationship like between Matt and Penny?

7. How is Amalia described when she first appears in the 2016 timeline? What is her relationship like with Penny?

8. What is in the vacant bedroom across from Sorry's room? What is its history?

9. What happens when Matt comes to confront the squatters at Nicotine the first time?

10. Where is Norm's childhood home located? What is its history?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Penny Baker as the protagonist in Nicotine. How old is Penny? What are her objectives in the narrative? What obstacles does she face? How does she change as a result of her experiences?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the importance of setting in Nicotine. Where does the main bulk of the novel take place? What is significant about this setting? How do the different settings in the story compare with one another? What moods do they evoke?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of sex and romance in Nicotine. How do these themes play out through the main characters? What symbolism relates to these themes? Would you consider the relationships in the novel to be healthy? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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