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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. According to the Peace Corp officer's letter, where is Nearly Normal Jimmy going?

2. What drew Marx away from following his mother's religion?

3. What keeps Marx from becoming too jealous over Plucky's sexual encounter with Amanda?

4. When Marx is introduced to the letters of Plucky, how long has Plucky Purcell been in the monastery?

5. In Marx's vision, upon what animal does Tarzan ride?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is significant about Amanda's wishes for the Corpse?

2. What does Amanda point out that squashes Pulcky and Marx's idea of using the corpse to blackmail people in charge of the world?

3. Why do the Zillers tend to avoid alcohol?

4. Why does Marx attempt suicide and what change overcome him as a result?

5. What is Marx's suggestion about Plucky's plan for the Corpse and why?

6. According to Tarzan, why did men start fearing death?

7. What observations do the Zillers and Marx make about the loggers and their work?

8. Discuss the continual conflict between Marx and Amanda prior to his suicide attempt.

9. Why is Plucky being sent to Vatican City and why is this significant?

10. What is Amanda's theory about Marx's presence at their zoo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the government and the church in "Another Roadside Attraction." Discuss how Amanda's discussions with the federal agents and Plucky's encounter with Sister Hillary are reflective of an institution's ability to use innocent people for their own purposes. Finally, analyze the flaws in these systems as presented in this book and how Marx's theories about the downfall of these institutions is slow, yet inevitable.

Essay Topic 2

Compose an essay about the complexities of Marx and Amanda's relationship. Discuss his visceral attraction to her and his need for a motherly and spiritual figure in life, as well as his suicide attempt after her rejection. From Amanda's perspective, discuss her reasons for sleeping with other men and her rejection of Marx Marvelous. Do not forget to discuss their sexual encounter at the end of the book and their motivations for doing so. Develop a clear thesis statement and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Marx Marvelous's ideas about religion and how they are related to his belief that the Zillers are at the forefront of a new type of spirituality. Relate these ideas to his personal quest to discover his own need for spirituality (instead of relying on his logic), particularly how these conflicts stem from his childhood, as well as how it affects his ideas for the fate of the Corpse. Develop a clear thesis statement and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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