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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. In "Fractional Note," what is described as getting worse?

2. Which of the following describes the woman in "The Lady in the Castle"?

3. In "Hot," Bukowski claims that there is which of the following in everything around him?

4. Chinaski describes Paris as a lovely city full of _______________.

5. In which of the following poems does Chinaski not focus on the hidden horrors of life?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the title "Practice" clever?

2. What does the lion in "Invasion" represent?

3. Why is "An Ordinary Poem" significant in terms of defining Chinaski?

4. What metaphor is used in the poem "Seize the Day"?

5. In "Help Wanted," what does Chinaski fear?

6. Describe Chinaski's thought process in "Everybody Talks Too Much."

7. What allegory is present in "The Death of a Splendid Neighborhood"?

8. Describe Chinaski's self-esteem.

9. What does Chinaski say about lost pleasure?

10. How does Bukowski build a sense of foreboding in "Invasion"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of the poem "Invasion"? What does the lion in the poem symbolize? What is the message of this poem, and how do you know?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze Chinaski's domestic life. Is domestic life portrayed as positive or negative? Is Chinaski's opinion of domestic life genuine? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Assess Bukowski's argument that there are no certainties or essential truths in the world. Support or refute this claim using examples from the text.

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