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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. What did Thompson begin looking for in the kitchen after seeing the woman?

2. Who had given Thompson the numbers he'd used to place his bets?

3. The second narrator in "Screwjack" writes that after having been bitten, he "stared down at him very intently from a distance of" how many inches?

4. How many pounds did Mr. Screwjack weigh the second time the narrator had encountered him?

5. What was the woman at the car rental counter doing when Thompson arrived?

Short Essay Questions

1. What startling sight did the narrator find in the kitchen in "Death of a Poet"?

2. How is the narrative style of "Screwjack" similar to the other stories in the collection? How does it differ?

3. Describe the individual, F.X. Leach. What was his occupation? How did the narrator of "Death of a Poet" know him?

4. How did Leach introduce "Jennifer" in "Death of a Poet"?

5. What surprise news did Leach break on the narrator in "Death of a Poet"?

6. What did the second narrator do to Screwjack?

7. What lines open "Death of a Poet"? To whom are they attributed?

8. Who was the narrator going to see in "Death of a Poet"? What mood was he in?

9. Who is described in the beginning of the letter in "Screwjack"?

10. Who "wrote" the opening chapter of "Screwjack"? What exposition is revealed here?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the theme of addiction and abuse in "Mescalito." What symbolism and imagery supports this theme?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the narrative style of "Death of a Poet." How does the narrative point of view in this story differ from the other selections in Screw-jack?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Thompson's relationship with and political feelings toward Richard Nixon. How did Thompson react to news of Nixon in "Mescalito"?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 738 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample