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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. Tolentino asserts that engaging in the ridiculous goal of "figuring out how to 'get better' at being a woman" (64) will never bring what?

2. In which level of school was Tolentino when she was featured on a reality television series?

3. What is the name of the restaurant that Tolentino discusses in "Always Be Optimizing"?

4. At ten, Tolentino admonished her younger self for looking at which kinds of sites during her first sessions online?

5. The cast member named Cory came from a small town in which state?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of Jess's comments about Cory's homosexuality in the essay "Reality TV Me"?

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

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

4. What symbolism does Tolentino highlight within an Instagram profile in the essay "Always Be Optimizing"?

5. What psychological effect of the current incarnation of the world wide web does Tolentino find most dangerous and why?

6. What criteria does Tolentino use in order to characterize 2012 as a major turning point in relation to the internet?

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

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

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

10. How does Tolentino contrast her real feelings about taking part in Girls vs. Boys: Puerto Rico with the impression she gave her family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine Tolentino’s use of characterization methods to portray herself within the narrative. What effects do these characterization methods have on the themes and messages inherent in Trick Mirror?

Essay Topic 2

What message is Tolentino sending regarding the source of human flaws and unhappiness?

Essay Topic 3

Tolentino begins the text with a quote from a Sylvia Plath poem. Explain how this poem excerpt relates to the text and how it reflects the text’s themes.

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