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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 dish does Kelly put her tampon in in Eating Out?

2. Who does Matty's brother want to kill in Memories of Matty?

3. At the end of Searching for the Inner Man, what does Renton decide his central belief is?

4. What injury did Spud suffer in his liaison with Laura McEwan?

5. As he slips in and out of consciousness in this chapter, what does Renton fear he might accidentally do?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Renton feel bad at the end of The Elusive Mr. Hunt?

2. What uncharacteristic moment occurs with Renton in Straight Dilemmas No. 1?

3. What demand does Renton's father make of Renton on his second day in bed?

4. How does Renton feel about ripping off his mates at the end of the novel?

5. In what state is Renton at the beginning of this chapter?

6. Describe Spud's ill-fated night with Laura McEwan.

7. Describe Sick Boy's escapade in Deid Dugs.

8. How does Renton interact with his relatives at Billy's wake?

9. How does the morning of There Is a Light That Never Goes Out end?

10. What surprise does Renton have when he wakes up in Gi's flat?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Trainspotting takes place in a specific time and place: Edinburgh in the mid- to late-eighties. This is a period marked by civil strife between right and left in the era of IRA and Thatcher. Write an essay about three ways in which the political pervades the narrative:

Part 1) Discuss the rivalry between the Hibs and the Hearts. How do these two football clubs represent two ideologies in this era? Which club do the mates of Trainspotting support, and what does this say about their understanding of the United Kingdom?

Part 2) What happens to Spud and his Uncle Dode when they cross paths with skinheads in the novel? Discuss what challenges Dode has faced in Leith and why. How are these challenges typified in this interaction with the skinheads?

Part 3) Discuss Renton's reaction to his brother Billy's death. How does he connect the death to racism and privilege in a stratified United Kingdom? What does Renton feel about Thatcher, Union, and his Glasgow relatives?

Essay Topic 2

Trainspotting, in many ways, resembles a collection of short stories. It follows several key characters but occasionally diverts to a seemingly unrelated narrative. Write an essay about two of these chapters:

Part 1) Describe the narrative of Grieving and Mourning in Port Sunshine. How are these characters connected to the other characters of the rest of the novel? Thematically, what is discusses in the chapter, and how does this relate to other chapters?

Part 2) Discuss the narrative of Bad Blood. Who is Davie, and how has he appeared in the rest of the novel? Describe the themes covered in Davie's story, and how the tone of the piece fits with the rest of the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Trainspotting is a novel that exists resolutely in the nitty-gritty of working-class squalor. As such, Welsh regularly employs filthy and scatological imagery. Write an essay about three such instances. What is the nature of the filth portrayed? How does it relate to the narrative and themes of the novel? Is it presented straight or with humor, and do you think it is necessary or effective?

Part 1) The First Day of the Edinburgh Festival

Part 2) Traditional English Breakfast

Part 3) Eating Out

(see the answer keys)

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