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Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Why would Jarrell's widow not want to admit he committed suicide?
2. What does Styron say would cause many depression-related suicides?
3. What does Styron say depression is like?
4. According to Styron, who wrote about depression and seemed to really understand it?
5. What starts Styron's downward spiral into depression?
Short Essay Questions
1. What did Styron say is true of those who suffer from severe depression and recover?
2. What was special about Styron's situation with depression?
3. What sort of attachments did Styron form as his depression progressed?
4. What statistics did Styron give about depression and suicide?
5. What role does Styron say friends and family play for the person with depression?
6. What are some of the ways Styron indicated he had thought of as a means to commit his own suicide?
7. As Styron contemplated and planned for his suicide, what two feelings did he describe?
8. What did Styron say about the impression his intense thoughts of suicide would have on others?
9. For the most part, the people Styron list as suffering from depression are artistic types or philosophers. Discuss why this may be so?
10. How did Styron begin preparing for his death?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Critics have indicated that Styron left much of his personal journey out of the book. As a memoir of madness, we might expect, and deserve, to read more of Styron's journey through madness. Yet, he didn't include it. Why might this be? Would the book have been better or worse if more detail of the struggle had been included? Do you think leaving out the information was by plan or by accident? Why?
Essay Topic 2
A memoir is somewhat like a figurative photograph of the writer. It may be like an individual photograph or a group photograph. It offers sensory and symbolic details that paint a picture of the writer at that point in time. Discuss how Styron uses sensory detail and symbolic writing to paint his picture. Give examples from the book of how he does this, including language he may have used.
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?
This section contains 928 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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