Print
Word
PDF
|
| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What language is expressly forbidden around Hitler-as-the-President in "Swastika?"
2. What does Bukowski attempt to read during oral sex in "My Big-Assed Mother?"
3. Where does Blanchard corner the girl and her two friends?
4. According to "All the Great Writers," which of the following is not a characteristic of most writers?
5. What does Gramercy Edwards do that disgusts Bukowski?
Short Essay Questions
1. How does Bukowski force the police to leave in "My Big-Assed Mother?"
2. What are the logistics of Harry's plan to recover the gold from the artillery range?
3. What does Charlie leave Marie?
4. What is the fate of the president after the surgeries are completed?
5. Who is Ginny?
6. Describe Martin Blanchard.
7. At the end of the story, what is revealed as the reason for the narrator's presence at the bar, and what does this suggest about his feelings on the whole encounter?
8. Describe the ironic encounter between Mason and the waiter at the end of "All the Great Writers."
9. Why does Marie take in Charlie in "A Lovely Love Affair?"
10. Who are some of the famous writers discussed in "The Day We Talk About James Thurber" and why?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
What role does alcohol play in Bukowski's stories? Specifically, describe Bukowski's relationship with alcohol. In what ways does this inspire and stifle his creativity? What are some of the symptoms of his alcoholism? How does this affect his health and life? How does Bukowski himself feel about his reliance on alcohol? Does his alcohol inform his writing or impair? Why or why not? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.
Essay Topic 2
In what ways do many of these stories deal a person's tendency towards self-destruction? How does Bukowski cast himself in many of these roles (in particular, in "25 Bums in Rags")? What are some of the common traits of those who cannot keep their lives together? How are characters such as Cass, Vicky, and Jeff similar in this regard? How is this connected with suicide? What does this suggest about Bukowski's thoughts on his own self-destruction?
Essay Topic 3
Compare and contrast "The Fiend" and "The Murder of Ramon Vasquez." What are some of the similar themes that Bukowski explores in each of these stories? Why is it significant that Blanchard of the former and Lincoln of the latter are very different from each other? How does this relate to Bukowski's disclaimer at the beginning of "The Murder of Ramon Vasquez?" Why does Bukowski find it important to explore these darker themes? How does Bukowski see both of these stories as a reflection upon society?
|
This section contains 1,360 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
|
