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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. Where does Rosa volunteer?

2. What is Joe's last name?

3. Who is the owner of Empire Novelty?

4. What is Sheldon's nickname?

5. How many artists do Sammy and Joe recruit?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Tracy look like? Why is this important?

2. Why is isolation a theme in the story?

3. How does Joe interpret Sammy and Rosa's marriage?

4. Why does Joe want to make money?

5. In what way does Joe's life imitate art?

6. What is the first step in Joe's slide into madness?

7. Why does Sammy like comic books?

8. What has Joe escaped from in his life?

9. What shatters Sam's fantasy of living a normal life?

10. What makes Sam think that Joe is back in town?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How are Tommy and Joe alike? How are they different? Why is it important that these similarities are displayed for the reader? How does Joe's son Tommy compare to Joe's brother, Thomas?

Essay Topic 2

What role does corruption play in the story? Which characters are examples of corruption? Which characters are victims of corruption? Analyze at least 2 examples of corruption in the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the relationship that Sammy and Tracy have. Analyze their behavior towards one another. Are they in love? Why or why not? In what ways are they compatible?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 612 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample