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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. Where does Quinn go to read Stillman's book?

2. Where does the second meeting between Quinn and Stillman take place in Chapter 9?

3. In Chapter 8, what do each of the maps of Stillman's routes resemble to Quinn?

4. Which historical figure was faced with the challenge of standing an egg on its end?

5. What is the weather like on the day that Stillman does not appear as usual?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Stillman's daily routine. What items does he take with him on his daily walks?

2. Where does Stillman go after leaving Grand Central Station? Why is Quinn surprised by this?

3. What is Stillman's project as he explains it to Quinn in Chapter 9? Why is this work necessary?

4. Why did Stillman invent the persona of Henry Dark? What significance does this name have?

5. Describe the relationship between Quinn and the counterman at the luncheonette. What interest unites them?

6. What is the danger of Quinn's becoming too bored while following Stillman? Who does he pretend to be in order to combat his boredom?

7. What is unusual about the relationship between Peter Stillman and his wife Virginia? What does Virginia do to make their relationship work?

8. What job does Virginia Stillman hire Auster to do? How does she expect him to start?

9. In what year did Stillman lock up his son? Why is this significant?

10. What interests Auster about the authorship of Don Quixote? According to Auster, what was the experiment that Don Quixote was conducting?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout The New York Trilogy, there are allusions to Robinson Crusoe. Give an example from each of the three stories. What is the significance of this allusion? What is the relationship between isolation and writing?

Essay Topic 2

Fate is a significant theme in City of Glass. Give two examples of coincidences that Quinn attributes to fate. How does fate as an explanation justify Quinn's actions?

Essay Topic 3

What is the importance of setting in the three novels that comprise The New York Trilogy? How is the city represented in each of the novels? What associations does New York have with writing and writers?

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