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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 Styron say about not returning to France?
2. What does Styron think of these two people, who were close literary friends?
3. What does Gary confess to Styron about Camus's depression?
4. What bothers Styron so much about not being able to meet Camus?
5. How did Levi commit suicide?
Short Essay Questions
1. What term did Stryon say was a more apt description of depression than that word itself?
2. What did Styron say was his most difficult piece of writing, and how did he describe it?
3. Styron gave little credence to his outpatient therapy, but said what about the 50 minutes involved?
4. What happened to Romain Gary, Styron's friend, as a result of his depression?
5. Why did Styron say he believes he lost the award check?
6. Why were the new medicines becoming available in the 1980's and Dr. Gold's approach to them indicative of how depression was viewed and treated during that time? Why was it not sufficient?
7. What did Styron discover about himself in Paris, during one of his more lucid moments?
8. For the most part, the people Styron list as suffering from depression are artistic types or philosophers. Discuss why this may be so?
9. How did Dr. Gold's approach compare to the way the parish priest approached Emma in "Madame Bovary"?
10. What are some of the ways Styron indicated he had thought of as a means to commit his own suicide?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Discuss what Styron's purpose is for writing "Darkness Visible." What might he want us to know and understand about his subject? Include what he states openly as well as what you understand him to want to say. Why does he think it is important to make us understand this?
Essay Topic 2
The difference between an autobiography and a memoir is that the memoir is about a specific topic or time span in the author's life. An autobiography is similar, but usually takes a more global look at the writer's life, including background information that leads up to the point in time of the events being examined. Discuss how Darkness Visible is a memoir, but has some characteristics of autobiography. Defend your idea of whether the work is a memoir or more of an autobiography. Use examples from the book to prove your position.
Essay Topic 3
Discuss Styron's thoughts about human resiliency and social report and provide examples from the book. How important are each of these to an individual's recovery and survival?
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This section contains 1,136 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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