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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 does Didion dismiss the center as?

2. What type of building is the center?

3. On what subject does Baez's school concentrate?

4. Why does Hughes' building look abandoned?

5. What did Wayne promise to build his woman?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Didion choose to write the Howard Hughes essay?

2. What were Didion's feelings when she met John Wayne for the first time?

3. What makes Michael a difficult interviewee?

4. Describe Lucille Miller's life at the beginning of Part 1.

5. What do you think is the overall message of this chapter?

6. How do the hippies react when Michael almost burns down the house?

7. What is Didion interested in learning about Michael?

8. Describe Howard Hughes' house

9. Into what does Michael give Didion an insight?

10. What is the Center of Study of Democratic Institutions?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What influence did the hippie movement have on the following areas:

1) Politics

2) Literature and art

3) Family

Essay Topic 2

Examine the book as a whole.

1) What is the central argument of the book?

2) How are the essays arranged to construct this argument?

Essay Topic 3

Identify the main themes of the book. Why do you think these themes are so important to Didion? How does Didion express the main themes of the book through each essay?

(see the answer keys)

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