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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. Where does Bukowski return home to at the end of My Stay at the Poet's Cottage?

2. What does Duke do at night?

3. Where is Frank Evans staying in An Evil Town?

4. In Scenes from the Big Time, which inmate serves time in the hole?

5. What is Bukowski beaten with in Love It or Leave It?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the fan's fault in thinking, according to Bukowski in Great Poets Die in Steaming Pots of Shit?

2. What is Bukowski's primal desire in Rape! Rape!, and how does he reveal it?

3. How does Bukowksi obey social conventions when attending the wedding in The Great Zen Wedding?

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

5. What does the young boy represent in Love it or Leave it?

6. What is Harry driven by in Reunion?

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

8. Describe Duke's relationship with Lala in A .45 to Pay the Rent.

9. In My Stay in the Poet's Cottage, how does Bukowski reply to the editor who is shocked at his walking in the stifling heat rather than wait for the bus?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Beer and Poets and Talk" displays Bukowski talking about literature freely, which is a rare instance in this collection of stories. What are Bukowski's thoughts on literature, and what does he think of it in comparison to reality? Why does he emphasize either literature or reality over the other? What does the arguing couple remind him of? Make sure you answer each question with evidence and support from the story.

Essay Topic 2

"The Stupid Christs" is one of a few short stories in the collection that has a discernible beginning, middle, and end that make up the plot. What kind of progress does Dan make through the plot of the story? What changes, and what doesn't change? What themes are associated with each section of the plot (beginning, middle, and end)? Make sure you answer each question with evidence and support from the story.

Essay Topic 3

One recurring theme in Tales of Ordinary Men is balance between life and literature. Describe Bukowski's ideas on life and literature from at least two stories from the collection. Which is more important to him, and why? Make sure you answer each question with evidence and support from the stories.

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