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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 Bliss remember most clearly about Heather Holloway in Chapter 7?

2. In what House Committee did Polly Bailey begin her Washington, D.C. career?

3. In what state did the shooting that Bobby Jay Bliss is trying to spin in Chapter 2 take place?

4. What airport is Naylor in when BR calls him in Chapter 6?

5. What request does Reverend Griggs make of Naylor in Chapter 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Oprah betray Naylor at the beginning of Chapter 5?

2. How did Bobby Jay Bliss find his way to SAFETY?

3. How have Naylor's fortunes changed when he returns to the Academy at the beginning of Chapter 7?

4. In Chapter 3, how does BR try to undermine Naylor?

5. How does Nick fare in the Oprah show?

6. What bet do Polly and Bobby Jay make at Bert's in Chapter 7?

7. Why is USA Today trying to contact Naylor in Chapter 1?

8. What is the purpose of Nick Naylor's meeting with Reverend Griggs in Chapter 10?

9. What types of messages does Nick have waiting for him at the Academy in Chapter 7?

10. What does the reader learn about Gazelle in Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Although the novel is told from a third-person point-of-view, much of the action is left in a sort of uncertain state. Write an essay about information withheld by the narrator in the novel. What is the purpose of withholding information? How does the omitting of this information place the reader very much in the same situation as Nick Naylor? Is all of this information connected to the main betrayal at the end? Sum up the essay by discussing the importance of the revelations in the final chapters.

Essay Topic 2

The world of tobacco in Buckley's novel is divided into two groups: the old-school manufacturers and the slick image men who try to sell the industry to the country. Write a essay about this conflict, focusing on each side individually:

Part 1) The old style of tobacco men is represented most clearly by the character of the Captain. What does the old man value in business? Why does he take to Nick Naylor so fervently? How are his views considered antiquated by the new guard, and how does his death mark the passing of an era?

Part 2) The new style of image and branding is perhaps best represented by the slick, deceptive BR. What does he want to do to change the Academy, and how do these changes jive with the old style of men like the Captain? What kind of support does BR have at the Academy, and how is his power derived almost exclusively from lies and treachery?

Essay Topic 3

The characters of Thank You for Smoking are almost uniformly compromised, selfish, and deeply callous. Only a few characters attempt to do what is right, and they generally pay a price for it. Write an essay about these good souls. What does each one attempt to do to make things better? How are they invariably foiled in their attempts? Do any of these good hearts succeed in making some form of change in the system? If so, how does this come about?

Part 1) Lorne Lutch

Part 2) Polly Bailey

Part 3) Gomez O'Neal

(see the answer keys)

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