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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 are the new developments in the supermarket?

2. How did Babette get her hands on Dylar?

3. Who is teaching a seminar about car crashes?

4. Which member of the family notices that they are running out of gas?

5. Which family in the neighborhood has a new dog?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Whom does Jack give the sample of Dylar to, and why?

3. What is Orest Mercator trying to do?

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

5. According to Heinrich, toxic spills are not "the real issue." What does he tell his sisters and parents they should be worried of?

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

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

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

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

10. Why does Jack follow Winnie Richards in Chapter 25? Are his reasons valid?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Murray is a secondary character who is nonetheless crucial to Jack's characterization and to the book's humor. Write an analytical essay that 1) offers a brief character sketch of Murray and 2) an analysis of the specific fictional techniques (setting/tone/mood, plot event/action, dialogue/interaction) that DeLillo employs to characterize Murray. Why is he important to this text?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 778 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample