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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. How old was Tolentino when she was cast on a reality television show?

2. To which element of life does the term "panopticon" (16) refer, as explained by Tolentino in "The I in Internet"?

3. How does Tolentino describe the new organizing principle that came to envelop most online interactions in a particular year?

4. What celestial body does Tolentino use in a metaphorical description of America within the introduction?

5. What food item does Tolentino use as a metaphor for the workaholic lifestyle?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the source of the essay collection's title, Trick Mirror, according to Tolentino?

2. In what way does Tolentino present the theme of hypocrisy within the essay entitled "Reality TV Me"?

3. Name a piece of evidence Tolentino uses to support her claims about the misogynistic qualities of the now-defunct online community called 4Chan.

4. Discuss an instance in the introduction when Tolentino uses a metaphor to illustrate a particular point.

5. What two traits does Tolentino consider crucial to any place on the internet that wants to qualify as a positive space?

6. In what way is "the rise of barre" (74) unprecedented, according to Tolentino in the essay "Always Be Optimizing"?

7. To what work is the title of "Always Be Optimizing" referring and what is the significance of the allusion within the essay?

8. Who is Jess, the person featured in the essay entitled "Reality TV Me"?

9. How does Tolentino describe the connection between each essay's topic and her own life?

10. What does Tolentino mean when she states that "the ideal woman is always optimizing" (63)?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Tolentino’s messages concerning the nature of personal satisfaction. Does the text indicate that it is dangerous or crucial? Choose one adjective and prove its validity using concrete details from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Tolentino introduces many historical references in the book, from the bank bailouts of the Great Recession to the rise of social media. What do these references add to the text? How do they expand the universality or specificity of its themes?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze Trick Mirror from an Existential perspective. What elements of life does it suggest hold the most meaning and why?

(see the answer keys)

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