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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. Chris admits to making contact with Felicity in order to _________________.

2. Why did Dangerfield once touch the decapitated head of Blessed Oliver Plunkett?

3. What does Dangerfield do when he realizes his social gaffe on the train?

4. What college do Dangerfield and O'Keefe both attend?

5. Chris makes a meal of bacon and _________________.

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the impoverished Dangerfield secure food for O'Keefe and himself?

2. What is at the core of Dangerfield's nasty behavior?

3. Who is Kenneth O'Keefe and where does Dangerfield invite him to go in Chapter 1?

4. Who was Blessed Oliver Plunkett?

5. What is Dangerfield's destructive behavior when he learns that Marion has received money from his father?

6. What is the premise of THE GINGER MAN?

7. Why are O'Keefe's challenges in having sex partly of his own making?

8. Where has Marion moved and why does Dangerfield seem to like it?

9. How are Marion and O'Keefe alike in their relationships with Dangerfield?

10. Has Dangerfield's life improved from moving from the rickety house to the house in the city?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the ongoing conflict between Dangerfield and Marion. What are the main sources of the conflicts? Why does it perpetuate? What does Dangerfield learn about the reality of his life with Marion as opposed to the illusions he has held for so long?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the role of the family in THE GINGER MAN. What does it mean for each of the main characters? How does the family disintegrate? How typical is this family to most Irish families living during the mid-20th century?

Essay Topic 3

Poverty seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of poverty? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the characters' lives? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

(see the answer keys)

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