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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. In Chapter 24, Carlinsky tells Nick the FBI found a key in his apartment. What is the key give access to?

2. What is Nick looking at in Chapter 15 when he imagines a vast nude tableau?

3. Why is the Captain in the hospital in Chapter 14?

4. In Chapter 13, what words does Sven subliminally embed int he anti-smoking ad he makes for the Academy?

5. Why did the Captain place a spy in BR's office?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 20, how does Nick rebut Senator Finisterre's cigarette criticism on Nightline?

2. Why does Nick decide to go to Winston-Salem in Chapter 25?

3. How does Nick convince Lorne Lutch to take the bribe in Chapter 18?

4. What problem is the Academy having in Asia?

5. Who is Jack Bein?

6. What plan is Senator Finisterre trying to pass through Congress in Chapter 19?

7. Describe the argument the MOD Squad has in Chapter 13.

8. What does Heather imply to Nick in Chapter 21?

9. Why is Nick unable to get counsel from Carlinsky in Chapter 26?

10. What deal do Jeff Megall and Nick discuss in Chapter 17?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Washington, DC, of Thank You for Smoking is one in which trusted - or at least reliable - institutions are crumbling and corrupt. They live by lies and the drive of individual ambition of those within them. Write an essay in three parts about the lapsed institutions of the novel:

Part 1) The dominant culture of Washington, DC, is politics. What is known about the politicians in the novel? Are they intelligent, trustworthy, or ethical? Do they want much of anything beyond publicity? Cite individual examples of politicians in the text.

Part 2) The press in Washington, DC, is primarily represented by the character of Heather Holloway. What is her primary objective in the novel, and how does she go about attaining it? Are her tactics in keeping with what one would generally call journalistic ethics?

Part 3) Nick Naylor bends over backwards trying to justify his work in the lobbying industry in Washington D.C. How is his lobby ethically compromised beyond even the lax standards of lobbying firms in general? Who in the Academy is most indicative of this internal rot?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about Nick Naylor's relationships with women over the course of the novel. Write a paragraph on one of his major relationships with Heather Holloway, Jeannette Dantine, or Polly Bailey. How does each of the first two relationships reflect the truly unwise mating habits of Nick? What does he risk and lose in both of these couplings? What does he learn? Sum up the essay by discussing how Polly is a reflection of what Nick has learned in the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Nick Naylor is portrayed in the novel as a man who is consistently marginalized by society not because of race or beliefs, but because he has allied himself with a deeply unpopular entity. Write an essay about this marginalization in three parts:

Part 1) How does the Prologue of the novel express the omnipresent antipathy Nick Naylor faces in life? What does society at large dislike about what he does? How has Nick adapted to this antipathy? What defenses has he developed?

Part 2) Discuss the relationship that exists among the members of the MOD Squad in the novel. What do the three of them discuss when they meet for lunch? What do they understand about each other's life that most of society cannot?

Part 3) Describe the public attitude that surround's Nick's work, and how this attitude lends credence to the abduction and attempted murder. Are death threats a regular part of Nick Naylor's life? What precautions does the Academy take regarding these omnipresent fears?

(see the answer keys)

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