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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. How does Simon treat the staff at the poker club he attends?

2. Where is Momma living when Augie returns home from Mexico City?

3. Which of the following activities is NOT one of Thea's hobbies?

4. Which of the following sculptors had a show at the Baptistry in Florence that Augie visited?

5. How does Caligula fare in his first fight with a live iguana?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Bateshaw prevent Augie from flagging down a passing ship after their Marine boat sinks?

2. Why is Oliver evicted from the hotel where he is staying in Mexico City?

3. How does Augie react when he sees Thea for the first time since their resort stay in Michigan?

4. What does Mr. Gammick teach Augie about work life?

5. What happens when Augie offers to drive his disfigured maid home to her family in Normandy at the end of the novel?

6. What does Augie write in the letters he sends to Stella from aboard the MacManus?

7. How has Georgie's life changed in the time that Augie was living in Mexico City?

8. Who is Paslavitch?

9. How does Caligula perform during his first hunting expedition?

10. What connection does Augie realize he has with the Soviet exile, Leon Trotsky?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Augie was a young boy, he fell in love with a girl named Hilda, and through his adulthood, arguably, worked to remove Hilda from his heart forever. First, describe Augie's first experiences with love in his relationship with Hilda. What was the reaction from Augie's family and friends to his relationship with Hilda? Describe the general flow of Augie's love life after his relationship with Hilda ended. How did Augie actively work to remove the love for Hilda from his heart? Was he successful? Why or why not? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the situation in which Mimi Villa got pregnant. Why did she decide to terminate her pregnancy? Then, describe the process Mimi had to go through to end her pregnancy. Was the procedure safe? Why or why not? Finally, compare the reaction from the women in Mimi's life to her abortion with the reaction from the men. What sociological statement do you think Bellows is making about abortion through these interactions? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Because of the desperate financial situation Augie finds himself in, he enters a life of crime with fellow thug, Joe Gormon. First, describe Joe Gormon's character. How did he and Augie meet? Why was Augie seduced by Joe's life of crime? Then, choose one major crime Augie committed while working with Gormon. Who was the victim of this crime? What was the short-term payoff for Augie? In your opinion, was the short-term payoff for this crime worth the long-term effects on Augie's life? Why or why not? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

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