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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. During "August," from his memory of a previous campaign, what is Thompson primarily concerned about?

2. How does Thompson balance his frantic writing with the long periods of boredom in "November?"

3. According to those who disapprove of professional speech writers, what is revealed when politicians use these writers?

4. In "November Continued," what is the reputation of the journalists Thompson travels with?

5. During the campaign Thomas reminisces about in "August," what did the police use to control the crowd?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the behaviors exhibited by the journalists on the Zoo Plane?

2. Describe the activities of election day.

3. In "August," why does Thompson discuss a demonstration he witnessed during a previous campaign?

4. How does Eagleton affect McGovern's campaign run?

5. Why did Ron Ziegler become Nixon's PR man?

6. How does Thompson describe the passengers of Dakota Queen II?

7. How does Thompson relate the politics of the campaign to the partying of the personnel?

8. Describe the confrontation between Mankiewicz and Thompson.

9. In what ways is Thompson introducing new readers to the world of politics?

10. What are Thompson's opinions on what Americans want from their leaders?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Thompson simultaneously both promote and subvert honesty in journalism? In what ways is his account of the campaign trail in 1972 completely accurate? In what ways is it factually incorrect? How does his use of satire and exaggerations help to engage the reader into experiencing what the author is experiencing? How do some of his exaggerations undermine some of the presidential candidates? How does this relate to Thompson's annoyance at the dishonesty present in several politicians?

Essay Topic 2

By the time of the 1972 presidential election, how have politicians come to regard the youth vote and the African-American vote? How has the Vietnam War and the subsequent culture around it (for example, hippies, Woodstock, politically aware actors, and musicians) forced the politicians to start targeting the younger crowds for votes? How has this culture, alongside with the continuing struggling for civil rights, aided the African-American community in terms of the government focusing on their demographic?

Essay Topic 3

What is gonzo journalism? What are the main characteristics of this writing style? How is Hunter S. Thompson connected to this type of writing? In what ways is gonzo journalism demonstrated in "Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72?" What is the purpose of this style of journalism? How does this style help immerse the reader in the event that is being covered?

(see the answer keys)

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