View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. Who wrote Madame Bovary and is quoted in the opening in of "In Defense of Saccharin(e)"?

3. Who wrote the story "Wrack"?

4. Where did Blake Wood earn his Ph.D.?

5. Who were the New York filmmakers that created the Paradise Lost trilogy?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does "deus ex machina" mean and why does the author discuss it in "Lost Boys"?

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

3. Who originated the Barkley Marathons? How is this individual described?

4. How is Jessie's confession described in "Lost Boys"?

5. The author gives "Some Important Dates in the History of Artificial Sugar" in "In Defense of Saccharine(e)." What are these dates and events?

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

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

8. Why did the author attend the Barkley Marathons?

9. Who did Carl consider to be the major contenders in the Barkley Marathons in "The Immortal Horizon"? Why?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Discuss the theme of poverty/slum tourism in The Empathy Exams. How is this theme developed through setting in the author's narratives? How is it developed through characterization? How is it developed through metaphor and action?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the individuals that are characterized in "The Immortal Horizon." How is Laz described? What motivated him to create the Barkley Marathons? How does the author use metaphor and simile in her descriptions of these individuals? How do these literary devices shape your impressions of them?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 780 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample