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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. According to Murray, what are the two kinds of people in the world?

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

3. How did Babette get her hands on Dylar?

4. What does the family eat when they go out for fast food?

5. Who was Jack's fourth wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Babette convince Mr. Gray to let her try the Dylar?

2. What is the (potentially wrong) answer Denise gives Babette when Babette wonders why UFOs always come from upstate?

3. What happened to Cotsakis, Murray's rival in Elvis studies?

4. Where does Jack drive Willie Mink and why?

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

6. How did Jack act during his appointment with Dr. Chakravarty?

7. What is the Law of Ruins Jack describes?

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

9. What does Winnie Richards think of Babette's condition and of the true purpose of Dylar?

10. Who is Willie Mink?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While Jack is obsessed with a mass-murderer, he is afraid of his own death. Babette seems to think that Jack's biology and jealousy make him predestined to be homicidal. Interrogate her claims, based on evidence from the text. Why does Jack resort to violence? What does it have to do with his academic obsession with Hitler and maybe even his J.A.K. persona? How does DeLillo use German and associations with Germany to explore Jack's fear?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Foreshadowing is an important technique. Write an essay that explains how DeLillo foreshadows the Airborne Toxic Event with a series of prior events. Describe the events and be specific about his foreshadowing technique.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 794 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample