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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 is the name of the second girl in "Those Girls We Followed Home"?

2. At the end of "Someday I'm Going to Write a Primer . . ." Chinaski declares his love to whom?

3. Where is Chinaski in "Longshot"?

4. What animal does Chinaski watch with a friend in "Concrete"?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why does Chinaski think he has so many female critics?

3. Describe Chinaski's self-esteem.

4. Is Bukowski seixst? Why or why not?

5. How does Chinaski focus on the hidden horrors of life?

6. Describe the theme of solitude present in "Party's Over," "No Nonsense," and "Escape."

7. Describe Bukowski's portrayal of populism in his poems.

8. Why is the title "Practice" clever?

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

10. Describe the conclusion Chinaski arrives at in "Wearing the Collar" and "A Cat is a Cat is a Cat is a Cat."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Assess the theme of destruction in this collection of poems. What types of things are destroyed? What types of things are preserved? What does this say about Bukowski?

Essay Topic 3

Describe Chinaski's connection of populism to his distaste for the Lost Generation. In what other ways does Chinaski exhibit populism?

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