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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. What type of car does Sean drive that Lauren thinks is borrowed from a friend?

2. What song does Stuart dance to hoping to impress Paul?

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

4. How does Sean react when Lauren tells him she is pregnant?

5. What state does Sean claim he is moving to after dropping out of college?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Richard Jared?

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

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

4. Who is Vittorio, and what type of relationship does he have with Lauren?

5. How does Sean react to the news of Lauren's pregnancy?

6. Why does Paul abruptly leaves Boston?

7. What type of relationship does Sean have with Rupert?

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

9. How does the mystery girl react to her devastation of being ignored by Sean at the party?

10. What is the real reason Paul's mother has requested her son to come visit her in Boston?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The relationship between Paul and Sean is certainly one of the most confusing in the novel. What discrepancies does the reader see in the two retellings of the relationship? Why do you think Ellis chooses to present the relationship between these men with confusion rather than straight narrative? Do you think this method of storytelling is effective? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Lauren's relationship with Vittrio is clearly a turning-point in her character's life. First, describe the character of Vittrio and how he and Lauren found themselves in a romantic relationship. Then, explain Sean's reaction to the news of Lauren's relationship with Vittrio. How did this affair alter their own relationship? Finally, explain how Lauren's relationship with Vittrio can be traced back to her childhood insecurities. What does this relationship tell the reader about the maturity of her character?

Essay Topic 3

What type of relationship does Sean have with his family, particularly the men in his life? What does the reader learn about Sean's family dynamics during the scene in the hospital room? How does this scene illustrate Sean's relationship with death? How does the understanding of Sean's relationship with his family help to explain his relationship with Lauren?

(see the answer keys)

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