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. How old was Glenn when he died?

2. What did Wertheimer lament about his sister?

3. Where did the narrator live that Wertheimer hated?

4. What kind of ego did Glenn have?

5. When did Wertheimer give up playing the piano?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why were the "Goldberg Variations" significant to the narrator and Wertheimer?

2. Describe the significance of the term "piano radicalism."

3. What did Wertheimer and the narrator resort to after they quit playing piano?

4. Describe the feelings the narrator and Glenn both had towards the public.

5. Describe the way the three friend's perceived New York City.

6. How did the narrator and the newspapers perceive Glenn Gould?

7. How did Wertheimer behave in relation to the narrator in Section 7?

8. Describe what the narrator said people knew and thought about Glenn.

9. Describe how the narrator feels about suicide.

10. How did Wertheimer and his sister view their inheritance?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss how the role of revenge is a part of "The Loser." Who demonstrates acts of revenge and are they effective? Support your statements with examples and quotes from "The Loser."

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the depression that exists among the three friends in "The Loser."

Essay Topic 3

Explain how the last scene of "The Loser" supports the entire theme and motifs of the novel. Give detailed examples of why Bernhard chose to end his novel the way he does. Support your statements with examples and quotes from "The Loser."

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 630 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample