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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. Which of the following is Jo Jo wearing when the narrator and Nigel meet him in the novel?

2. To which of the following does the narrator compare Nigel’s birthmark?

3. To which of the following does the narrator compare the fabric in the trees at Shanksted?

4. Which of the following is the number of bedrooms the narrator, Penny, and Nigel have in their suite at Shanksted?

5. To which of the following does the narrator compare the Musée du Nubia du Africq?

Short Essay Questions

1. What reasons does the narrator express for seeking Jo Jo’s help with Octavia’s campaign?

2. What prompts Nigel’s retreat into the art-supply closet at his school?

3. What inspirations does the narrator cite for his dancing at Octavia’s mansion?

4. What does the narrator note the Racing Form tracks?

5. How does the narrator describe Pavor when he first appears in the narrative?

6. What conditions does Penny attempt to impose on the narrator for traveling to the company retreat with him?

7. What incident leads to the acknowledgement that Nigel is the best cook among himself, Penny, and the narrator?

8. What expenses does the narrator note complicate securing Nigel’s procedure?

9. How does the narrator explain the makeup of his company’s diversity committee?

10. What attractions does the narrator note Shanksted offers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The narrator remarks, “I knew my mother well enough to understand that she would object to my plans for Nigel even more vehemently than Penny did” (72). What causes might the narrator have for proceeding despite the certainty of opposition from his wife and mother? What in the novel and in experience suggest as much? How does it do so?

Essay Topic 2

Explicate the following passage (93):

We passed an open unit where tidy-looking white people in business casual clothing sat upright on a couch. One man, his hair neatly parted, loosely lolled his head. The women on either side of him were zonked out also. One of the boys from the hallway checked his device clock and stepped into the unit. The Tiko was a good place to find your jollies for those with free right-of-access. Fly in from out of town. Stop at the Tiko for a tune-up and make your noon meeting with time to spare.

Essay Topic 3

Explicate the effects of the narrator’s refusal to name himself in the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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