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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. Who wrote the essay, "The Most Prevalent Form of Degradation in Erotic Life"?

2. What does Bubbles call the narrator before he leaves?

3. How old was the narrator when he broke his leg?

4. Who does the narrator recite a poem by to the Monkey?

5. How old is the narrator in 1946?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Alex say about the photo of Jesus in Bubbles's house?

2. What attracts Alex to Naomi? How does he express his feelings for her?

3. Where did Alex go on a trip with Kay? What does Alex say about his experience with Kay's family?

4. What does Alex remark about Israel?

5. What does the narrator recall which might be "the root of his problems" in Chapter 4 regarding his mother?

6. What does the memories of the Monkey conjure in Alex's memory in Chapter 4?

7. What happened with Mandel and Bubbles? What does this prompt the narrator to need to know?

8. How does the narrator's first sexual experience occur with Bubbles?

9. What, according to the narrator, are the worst sins he has committed in Chapter 4?

10. What does the narrator say about his resentment for his Jewishness and shikses in Chapter 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role of bigotry and racism in Portnoy's Complaint. Which characters embody racist traits? How does the narrator relate these? How does this affect the narrator's career choice?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the Oedipus Complex as it applies to the main character of Portnoy's Complaint. What emotions and experiences support this theme?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the phrase "Living a Jewish Joke." How does this resonate as an important element of Portnoy's Complaint? How does the ending of the novel revisit this line?

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