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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. On what day of the week does the author describe visiting Charlie in prison in "Fog Count"?

2. The word "saccharine" traces back to what Sanskrit word?

3. When did Andrew Thompson finally complete the Barkley Marathons?

4. How old was Frida Kahlo when she married Diego Rivera?

5. Who wrote the story "Wrack"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the author describe the maid doing in Madame Bovary in "In Defense of Saccharine(e)"?

2. How were the West Memphis Three depicted and perceived by their community at the time of their trial?

3. What did Cat tell the author about the history of West Virginia in "Fog Count"?

4. How does the author describe the word "saccharine" in the opening of "In Defense of Saccharine(e)"?

5. How does the author describe the line between pathos and melodrama in "In Defense of Saccharine(e)"?

6. What were the supplies that Julian took on the race in "The Immortal Horizon"?

7. How is Jim described in "In Defense of Saccharine(e)"?

8. How is Pam Hobbs described in "Lost Boys"?

9. What inspired the origins of the Barkley Marathons?

10. How does the author describe the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme/motif of physical pain in The Empathy Exams. What are examples of physical pain as described in narratives by the author? How does physical pain relate to empathy? How does it differ in that relation from mental pain?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the narrative style in the essays contained in The Empathy Exams. From what perspective are the narratives related? Is the author's style more journalistic or more memoir? What are the effects of this narrative style on the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's struggles with Dave in the first essay. How did these personal struggles change the author's perceptions of empathy? How did they shape her understanding of pain and suffering? In what ways did the author evolve through this situation?

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