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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. After leaving Leavenworth, Slim returns to Chicago. What is his first plan?

2. In 1953 Slim receives a letter from Mama saying what?

3. What does Slim pretend to be to pull off his post-Leavenworth money-making plan?

4. Where is Slim held after being picked up by the police while on the run from the FBI?

5. How old is Slim a the end of Chapter 19?

Short Essay Questions

1. Mavis is a female drug dealer and one of the few women in the story who is not a prostitute. How does Mavis being female make her an appropriate target for Slim's robbery attempt in Chapter 17?

2. Why does Leroy's arrest drive Chris to work for Blood?

3. Why is Chris one of the few people who knows that Slim is addicted to cocaine in Chapter 13?

4. How does the Chapter 22 title "Dawn" reflect the evolution of Slim's life at this stage?

5. Slim finally feels like he is totally alone when he is released from Leavenworth in Chapter 16 and discovers Chris has married and had a baby. Is his reaction to this information purely selfish or is it possible that he has himself contemplated marrying Chris and is jealous of her ability to establish love and stability for herself?

6. Slim's story about the State Workforce seems a little light on truth in Chapter 18. What are some elements that seem perhaps questionable?

7. How does Slim's reliance on drugs catch up with him in the end of chapter 15?

8. What prompts Runt to work harder after her return in Chapter 12?

9. What does the sewer in the chapter 15 title refer to?

10. Why is image, represented by material things, so important to a pimp?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The following statement appears at the very beginning of the book "Pimp: The Story of My Life": "This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are use fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental." How does this statement affect the value of the story in your estimation?

Essay Topic 2

Opinion: Like many of the Harlem Renaissance writers of youth, Iceberg Slim resorts to street vernacular and slang not just for the character dialogue in his book, but for his own first person account. In your opinion what contribution does this make to the book? Does it emphasize the gritty reality of the book? Does it make Slim just sound illiterate? Does it make the book easy or difficult to read? Does it contribute to the atmosphere of the book? Does it seem necessary?

Essay Topic 3

Prostitution is described as an almost wholly negative experience in the book "Pimp: The Story of My Life." Certainly those that worked for Slim didn't enjoy life all that often. However, there are many prostitutes (and non-prostitutes) who defend their line of work and demand decriminalization of the sex-trade (particularly to give them the legal status to avoid falling victim to their own pimps). Research the various arguments for and against legalizing prostitution and develop your own arguments for or against it.

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