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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 Arthur Less do when he gets back to his New York City hotel room after getting the bad news about Cormorant Publishing passing on his newest book?

2. Though the narrator says that all Arthur Less has "managed to grow is a gentle sense of himself, akin to the transparent carapace of a soft-shelled crab" (6), what event is stated to still have the ability to hurt him?

3. The final jury that awards the prize for which Arthur is nominated is composed of 12 what?

4. When Freddy and Arthur are sitting in the bar and are describing one another using one sentence, Freddy describes Arthur using what adjective?

5. For how many years did the relationship between Arthur Less and Freddy last?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the nature of the current relationship between Arthur and Robert?

2. What does the grandfather clock in the opening scene symbolize?

3. What other two prize ceremonies are called to Arthur's mind at the awards ceremony in Italy?

4. What is Arthur's literary agent's reaction to Arthur's latest novel?

5. What are the reasons for Arthur's exhaustion the first morning he wakes up in Mexico?

6. What is the actual sound being made when Arthur believes the sound of thunder to be interrupting his reveries during the Italian award ceremony?

7. What are Arthur's feelings about the works of the science fiction writer H. H. H. Mandern?

8. Why does Arthur automatically lie when he is asked whether he has ever been to Mexico?

9. How do Arthur and Robert meet?

10. For what purpose has Arthur come to New York City and what is its end result?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's choice of a narrator who is omniscient, yet who is also a real character within the narrative.

Essay Topic 2

Trace the characterization arc of Arthur’s character throughout the novel. Discuss whether he is a round or flat character and whether he is a static or dynamic character.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the many instances of irony within the novel's narrative and analyze the author's purpose for including each instance you discuss.

(see the answer keys)

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