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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 much does Desiderio pay to enter the peep show in Chapter 2, The Mansion of Midnight?

2. What does Desiderio find in the purse given to him by the acrobats in Chapter 4, The Acrobats of Desire?

3. Who does Desiderio find in darkness in the Mayor's Mansion in Chapter 2, The Mansion of Midnight?

4. Who does Desiderio go to speak to about the rituals of his marriage in Chapter 3, The River People?

5. What does Desiderio's fiance begin doing after the engagement in Chapter 3, The River People?

Short Essay Questions

1. What leads to Desiderio's being hailed a hero among the River People?

2. How does Desiderio begin to integrate into his new society in Chapter 3, The River People?

3. What is the chief means of commerce for the River People?

4. What realization does Desiderio reach in the end of Chapter 3, The River People? How does he escape?

5. Who introduces the novel in the Introduction? What does the narrator establish from the past?

6. What disguise does Desiderio don in Chapter 4, The Acrobats of Desire? What is his reaction to the setting in this chapter?

7. Why have the villagers invited the carnival to their town at the last stop in Chapter 4, The Acrobats of Desire? What does Desiderio do there?

8. Who raised Desiderio? How did his heritage shape his character?

9. What does Desiderio learn from the peep show proprietor in Chapter 2, The Mansion of Midnight?

10. What leads to Desiderio's fugitive status in Chapter 2, The Mansion of Midnight? What foreshadowing is in this chapter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the imagery and symbolism in the peep show and carnival scenes in Chapter 2, The Mansion of Midnight. How do these sexual images relate to the themes of the story?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Desiderio's interaction with Mary Anne. What causes the protagonist's confusion about the situation? What does Desiderio discover?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of "identity" as it applies to the character of Albertina in the narrative. How do Albertina and her various disguises represent this theme?

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