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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. Who helped Bogus to leave town for Europe?

2. Where does Ralph's movie take place in Chapter 23?

3. What does Gunnel stuff in the heads of the dead?

4. Who does Colm want to tuck him in bed the night before the feast?

5. What type of car does the limo driver own?

Short Essay Questions

1. What might the statue foreshadow for the reader?

2. Why is the line from the diary familiar and important?

3. What change does having Colm around spur in Tulpen?

4. What role does Ralph play in the relationship between Bogus and Tulpen?

5. When Bogus returns to Tulpen, what changes are noticeable in their relationship?

6. When Biggie made her announcement, why did Aunt Blackstone respond with "Of course it is. Certainly, yes!"?

7. How does Bogus reflect on the life of a prostitute?

8. How does Bogus relate his life to cancer?

9. Why does Bogus feel betrayed by the nurse?

10. How have Bogus's views on promiscuity changed throughout the novel as he has grown older and had various relationships?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the Water-Method man relate to or express the conflict of society during the time the novel was written? Cite at least three examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Trumper and Couth are the same age, but Couth obviously plays the father figure in the relationship. What events or relationships in each boy's life led them to these roles in their friendship? Support your ideas with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

In what ways does Ralph Parker's film title take on a double meaning? How could this title, and the film itself, be a commentary on the society at large? Has the situation improved or declined since the book's publication? Support your opinion with the text.

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