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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 institution does the speaker visit in "The Punctum"?

2. In "Not Even," what does the speaker "throw himself" into?

3. In "Künstlerroman," where are some of the places the man in the movie visits?

4. In "Reasons for Staying," where do the speaker's best words come from?

5. In "Not Even," what does the speaker want to say to his mother as her body bag is zipped?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Nothing," what story about Peter's grandmother does the speaker recount?

2. In "The Punctum," what does the tour guide say that historians have done?

3. Where does the speaker see himself in "Tell Me Something Good"?

4. In "Scavengers," what kind of imagery does the speaker use?

5. What does the speaker in "The Punctum" learn about?

6. Who does the speaker wish to communicate with in "No One Knows the Way to Heaven"?

7. What does the speaker eventually realize about himself and the man in the movie in "Künstlerroman"?

8. What particular item in "Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker" is ominous and morbid?

9. What is the poem "Toy Boat" about?

10. In "Nothing," what does the speaker wonder about himself and Peter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In which poems does Vuong address the themes of coming-of-age and changing throughout childhood and adolescence, and in what ways does he treat these themes? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

What comments and observations is Vuong making about American culture in the poem "Old Glory"? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Vuong's personal background as the child of an immigrant and a single mother inform some of the topics in this collection? Write an essay explaining your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 540 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample