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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. Under what condition does the judge dismiss Renton's case in Courting Disaster?

2. What is Gi doing to Renton when the latter wakes up in London crying?

3. At the beginning of Courting Disaster, Renton and Spud have been arrested stealing what?

4. What dish does Kelly put her tampon in in Eating Out?

5. Who do Alison and Kelly heckle in Feeling Free?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Renton and Sharon's relationship change in Bang to Rites?

2. What does Renton learn about Sick Boy in the celebration in Courting Disaster?

3. Why does Begbie become enraged in Trainspotting at Leith Central Station?

4. How does the trial of Courting Disaster turn out for Renton and Spud?

5. What does Dr. Forbes uncover about Renton's addiction in Searching for the Inner Man?

6. How does Kelly take revenge on some business men in Eating Out?

7. How does Alison and Kelly bond with two lesbians in Feeling Free?

8. How does Renton end up in an all-night porno theater in London Crawling?

9. How does Billy Renton die?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The two primary settings of the novel are Leith and London. Write an essay comparing and contrasting these two locales. How is London dynamic and Leith distinctly static? Discuss the relative likelihood for heroin use in each of the settings. Which is more conducive to sobriety and why? Which major events occur in each, and how do these events come to define the world of this setting?

Essay Topic 2

Selfishness is a constant theme of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting. Individuals forge friendships and relationships, but they hold their own self-interest far ahead of anyone else's well-being. Write an essay on the topic of selfishness, in three parts:

Part 1) Who does Sick Boy use over the course of Trainspotting? Discuss his relationship with Alison, his role as a pimp, and his treatment of Renton in his time of need. What goals does Sick Boy have as an individual, and who does he betray to achieve them?

Part 2) Discuss the role of Frank Begbie in the novel. Who does he use in order to find profit and pleasure in his life? What does he leave behind in order to live life unfettered? How does this reflect his values and objectives?

Part 3) In summation, discuss the final chapter of the novel. How and why does Renton betray all of his friends? What does he gain? How does he justify this betrayal in the closing moments of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

The characters of Trainspotting are deeply complex. They are capable of horrid actions and desirous of profound love and happiness. Write a three-part essay about three such characters. What hurtful or careless actions does each perpetrate? How does he or she show empathy or love through the novel? Does this person find happiness in the end?

Part 1) Kelly

Part 2) Davie

Part 3) Spud

(see the answer keys)

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