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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following is most evident in "I Thought the Stuff Tasted Worse than Usual"?
(a) Irony.
(b) Hyperbole.
(c) Sarcasm.
(d) Gallows humor.

2. Chinaski claims that the best one can hope for is which of the following?
(a) A love life.
(b) Ten free minutes.
(c) A friend.
(d) A pet.

3. In "Seize the Day," what makes the grotesque man popular?
(a) He had a child.
(b) He moved away.
(c) He got a job.
(d) He won the lottery.

4. At the end of "Someday I'm Going to Write a Primer . . ." Chinaski declares his love to whom?
(a) His wife.
(b) Writing.
(c) His fears.
(d) The reader.

5. In which of the following poems does Chinaski not focus on the hidden horrors of life?
(a) "The Lady in the Castle."
(b) "The Blade."
(c) "Not Listed."
(d) "The Boil."

6. Where does "My Buddy" take place?
(a) New Orleans.
(b) Dallas.
(c) Los Angeles.
(d) New York.

7. What is the name of the second girl in "Those Girls We Followed Home"?
(a) Lois.
(b) Laurent.
(c) Louise.
(d) Suzanne.

8. In "Hot," Bukowski claims that there is which of the following in everything around him?
(a) Earth.
(b) Ice.
(c) Fire.
(d) Wind.

9. In "Hard Times," how many familiar men does Chinaski run into?
(a) Two.
(b) Eight.
(c) Four.
(d) Six.

10. In which poem does Bukowski ruminate on his inconsistent fame?
(a) "Only For a Minute."
(b) "Their Night."
(c) "Relentless as a Tarantula."
(d) "Huh?"

11. Which poem is considered the strangest in the collection?
(a) "Hard Times."
(b) "Longshot."
(c) "Invasion."
(d) "Concrete."

12. In "Me and My Buddy," what does Chinaski do with his poem?
(a) He uses it as a cushion.
(b) He turns it into a paper crane.
(c) He rips it up.
(d) He gives it away.

13. In "Sticks and Stones . . ." Chinaski responds to whom?
(a) Old critics.
(b) Female critics.
(c) Young critics.
(d) Male critics.

14. Which of the following has happened to Chinaski in "Longshot"?
(a) He is losing a lot of blood.
(b) He is working.
(c) He is cleaning.
(d) He is fighting.

15. What happens to Chinaski in "Everybody Talks Too Much"?
(a) He gets into a fight.
(b) He is pulled over by a cop.
(c) He files for divorce.
(d) He meets a woman at the bar.

Short Answer Questions

1. Chinaski describes the food in Paris as being which of the following?

2. In "The Shrinking Island," what does Chinaski give up on since he is drunk?

3. Whom does Chinaski meet in "A Tragic Meeting"?

4. Which item is a better companion than any women Chinaski can imagine?

5. Chinaski consoles himself that many men become which of the following over time?

(see the answer keys)

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