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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 does Vaughan ask Ballard to do when they got to Earls Court?

2. Where are Ballard, Catherine, and Vaughan when Catherine and Vaughan have sex in the backseat?

3. What kind of injuries from car crashes is Vaughan most preoccupied, according to Ballard?

4. At the Road Research Laboratory, when does Ballard feel his sense of disembodiment and unreality increase?

5. According to Vaughan, who has never been in a major crash so "everything lies in the future for her?"

Short Essay Questions

1. Why doesn't Ballard intervene on Elizabeth Taylor's behalf when he knew what Vaughan was capable of attempting to hurt her?

2. Why does Ballard begin to drive through the city in search of Vaughan?

3. What does Ballard think of when he introduces Catherine to Vaughan and why is it relevant?

4. How does Vaughan begin to change as the novel progresses?

5. What do Ballard and Vaughan do after they pick up two prostitutes and why is it relevant to the larger story?

6. Why does J.G. Ballard portray Vaughan's self-stimulation in the vehicle where a dentist recently died?

7. When Ballard and Vaughan arrive at the accident site involving a minor accident, what do they discover?

8. Describe Catherine's fantasies about Vaughan, how they pertain to Ballard, and their impact on her and Ballard's marriage.

9. How does Gabrielle respond to Ballard's staring at the scars on her legs and how does Ballard interpret her response?

10. Who are the spectators at the accident site involving the taxi and limo and what role does the scene have in the larger story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ballard details the urban landscape throughout the novel, from the car impound to the airport flyover, the abandoned lot to the parking garage. Choose 2 urban landscapes and discuss their purpose in the novel. What do they represent for the characters? How do the characters respond to these landscapes?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the body as a major theme in the novel. Make sure you define theme in your discuss and use specific examples to address each of the following:

1) How does Ballard describe the human body in terms of its purpose and function?

2) Choose 3 characters and detail how their bodies are affected by violence?

3) Compare Ballard's description of the human body with the body of a car. What are their similarities and differences?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Ballard, the author, with his eponymous character.

1) What are the similarities and differences between the author and his creation?

2) Why did Ballard name his protagonist after himself?

(see the answer keys)

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