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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 Mr. Sneed believe there is no shame in?

2. In Goodbye Watson, why does the narrator wake up soaking wet?

3. Where does Dan spend much of his time while at work?

4. What does the narrator offer to his girlfriend in Too Sensitive?

5. How does Bukowski feel after being charged with rape?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do pain and violence play a role in Nut Ward East of Hollywood?

2. How does the girlfriend insult her boyfriend in Too Sensitive?

3. What does the narrator say he will require of his creative writing students in Goodbye Watson?

4. What does Bukowski think of revolution in contrast to Maxie in A Quiet Conversation Piece?

5. What kind of relationships does Bukowski form in My Stay in the Poet's Cottage?

6. Describe the moral code of prison in Scenes from the Big Time.

7. Describe the town in An Evil Town.

8. Describe the character of Frank Evans in An Evil Town.

9. What distinct human traits are revealed in Rape! Rape!?

10. In Great Poets Die in Steaming Pots of Shit, how does Bukowski feel about his fans, and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Tales or Ordinary Madness, "A .45 to Pay the Rent" and "Doing Time with Public Enemy No. 1" are two different stories about men in some kind of prison. How is Bukowski different from Duke, personality-wise? How do they deal with their different trials in life, and who do you think handles their "imprisonment" better? Make sure you answer each question with evidence and support from the stories.

Essay Topic 2

"Reunion" and "Cunt and Kant and a Happy Home" both contain characters with an addiction--one has an addiction to alcohol, while the other has a gambling addiction. How do each characters' addiction affect their life? Does it affect anyone around them, and if so, how? Describe the cycle of addiction as seen in the stories. Make sure you answer each question with evidence and support from the stories.

Essay Topic 3

Many different ideas and themes are connected in Tales of Ordinary Madness, but "Notes of a Potential Suicide" reveals connections that are more obvious. What connections are revealed in the story? How is the symphony connected to the Air Show event? What makes them memorable or important for Bukowski? Make sure you answer each question with evidence and support from the story.

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