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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. The narrator and the person in #73 tell each other that they are __________________.

2. In what year is the narrator at the school in #49?

3. What type of music does Maria admit to liking while at a bar?

4. Who is the patient who the psychiatrist introduces to the narrator?

5. Which of the following is NOT part of the experiences of lesbian women?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator compare his life to the life of the Chinese woman he meets?

2. What is the significance of Betty and Kay to the narrator's life?

3. What does the narrator learn about Hunton from an older man with the same name?

4. How does the narrator meet Tex and Morris?

5. What is the double-edged sword of the narrator experiencing gay sexual activity?

6. Who are Betty and Kay and why does the narrator enjoy their company?

7. Describe the narrator's first year experiences at college.

8. With whom does the narrator have his first gay sexual experience and how does he feel about it afterward?

9. What are some of the themes addressed in "The Beautiful Room is Empty"?

10. How does the narrator's coming of age as a gay man mirror the coming of age of an entire gay community?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of gays and lesbians in the 1960s. What precedents were they forced to follow? What restrictions did they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century gays and lesbians do not have?

Essay Topic 2

Project into the future ten years after the end of the novel and write a brief synopsis for the lives of the narrator and three other characters. Be sure to incorporate personal, political and cultural impacts on the characters' lives.

Essay Topic 3

Substance abuse seems to be an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the abuse? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the characters' lives? How does it affect the abusers? How does it affect those impacted by the abusers? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

(see the answer keys)

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