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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. What distinguishes Babette from Jack's other wives?

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

3. Who returns home in Chapter 29 and begins throwing things out of his/her closet?

4. What is Babette's father's name?

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

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 condition Babette has, for which she is taking Dylar.

3. Who is Willie Mink?

4. When Jack asks Babette for Mr. Gray's real name, why does she refuse to tell him?

5. What is Orest Mercator trying to do?

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

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

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

9. Where does Jack discover Babette's Dylar?

10. When Murray and Jack discuss the weird feelings they have about Howard, what are some of the things they mention that just do not feel right?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the role that television plays in the life of the Gladney family. What is DeLillo trying to communicate about the way Americans watch television, or about what is produced and broadcast? Is this novel a critique of a "media generation"? Has television changed substantially since 1985? Would a new version of this novel include the internet in similar ways? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Image is important on television, as well as in this novel. Describe how these characters create and project persona and identities that may not be entirely their own. Students should write an analysis of the issue of image and manufactured image in terms of at least one major character (such as Jack, Babette or Murray) and at least one minor character (Howard Waldrop, Winnie Richards, Willie Minks, etc.).

Essay Topic 3

Considering the first two Books of the novel, analyze the way DeLillo uses feelings of non-chalance and calm to characterize the Gladney family. Offer textual examples of how they behave during hectic, stressful, or chaotic situations and explain the fictional techniques (especially dialogue and setting) that help the author achieve this characterization.

(see the answer keys)

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