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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. Who is the "full sister" of Jack's oldest daughter (i.e., which other child has the same mother?)

2. What distinguishes Babette from Jack's other wives?

3. Which child does Jack find at the simulated evacuation?

4. Who was Jack's fourth wife?

5. What animal is featured in Orest's quest to break a world record?

Short Essay Questions

1. Murray says that there are two kinds of people, killers and diers. Which one does Jack say he is and why?

2. What is the Law of Ruins Jack describes?

3. Which particular kind of people does Jack notice watching the insane asylum burn down, when he and Heinrich go to watch?

4. Why is Denise concerned about Babette going running, and what does she do about it?

5. What causes the family to evacuate, eventually? What is the thing that convinces them?

6. What is the condition Babette has, for which she is taking Dylar.

7. When the family does not want to cook, where do they go and what do they eat?

8. Where does Jack drive Willie Mink and why?

9. According to Heinrich, what are the effects of Nyodene Derivative?

10. What is Orest Mercator trying to do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Decide whether or not you think this book is funny. If so, write a position paper that explains the humor and why you find it funny/why DeLillo hopes the reader finds it funny. If you do not think it is funny, write a position paper that articulates your opinion of the jokes/humor/irony at work here and why you think it was not effective. Be sure to offer specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Write an analytical essay that explains and contextualizes the ways this family communicates with each other. Do they all communicate in the same way? Does anyone in the family communicate differently? Be sure to include specific exploration of DeLillo's dialogue as a fictional technique that demonstrate what these various communications styles mean thematically.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Jack's wives. Write an essay that describes Dana, Janet, Tweedy and Babette in turn, and explains the ways in which they are similar or different. Why did Jack want to marry them? What caused conflicts in their marriages? What does this show readers about Jack?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 810 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample