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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 does Sean react when he sees Paul for the first time after her returns home from Boston?

2. How many Acitifed pills does Sean take in a lame attempt to kill himself?

3. At what time of day does Sean agree to drive Paul to the bus station to meet with his mother?

4. What type of credit card does Sean use to pay for all his purchases?

5. Who complains of cigarettes being put out in her mailbox?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Sean and Lauren spend the night together for the first time in his room?

2. What happens when Sean goes to the hospital to visit with his sick father?

3. What characteristics about Sean's personality starts to irritate Lauren after they have been dating for some time?

4. How has Richard changed from the last time Paul saw him when they were in high school?

5. Who is Clay, and why has he moved to Camden?

6. Why is Paul immediately annoyed with the hotel receptionist in Boston?

7. Who is Richard Jared?

8. How does Sean react when Lauren breaks up with him for cheating on her?

9. How does the mystery girl find out that she has no chance of having a romantic relationship with Sean?

10. What scene does Paul return home to when he gets off the bus from Boston?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the end of the novel, Sean seems to have learned nothing from experience and does not seem to have matured. Is there any character in the novel who seems to have learned from past mistakes? Support your answer with specific details from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Many of the students in this novel come from extremely wealthy families, and money is not an issue to them. First, describe how monetary stresses most college students face are erased from the lives of these characters. Then, give at least two examples of scenes in which money is clearly not an issue for the students. Finally, explain how you think coming from families with money has affected the life decisions these students make while at college. Do you think they would live the same spoiled, hedonistic lives if they were not wealthy? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Many of the characters in this novel can be seen as escapists, meaning that they escape the truth of their lives through various vices. First, create a list of methods through which characters escape their lives. Then, give at least one example of a character who successfully escapes the truth of their life and compare/contrast that experience to another character who does not succeed in escaping the truth of their lives. What do you think Ellis's overall message about escapism is in this novel?

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