View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What gifts does Matt bring to Jazz when he sees her alone while her roommates are at the protest?

2. What does a neighbor do to Matt's car when he comes to board up the door at the Nicotine house?

3. What does Jazz tell Matt after their sexual fantasy interlude involving the balcony and virtual realty?

4. What weapon does Jazz bring to the hotel for Matt to use?

5. Where is Matt's office located?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when the locksmith arrives at Nicotine?

2. To what issue does Sorry attribute her smoking?

3. What do Jazz, Rob, and Sorry decide to do after the encounter with Matt at Nicotine?

4. Where do Rob, Sorry, and Jazz stay in Taos? Why?

5. Why does Penny go to the DJD to sleep? How is this setting described?

6. What does Penny learn about her parents' marriage from Amalia?

7. What is the political atmosphere like in the main (contemporary) timeline of the novel?

8. What is revealed about Matt's relationship with Amalia in the course of the narrative?

9. What is the significance of puppets in the novel?

10. What types of foods do the inhabitants of Nicotine eat? Where do they procure their food?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify and discuss three symbols in Nicotine. What does each symbol represent? How does the symbol connect to the novel's overarching themes? What characters are connected to each symbol?

Essay Topic 2

Define satire and irony and discuss how these terms apply to Nicotine. What are examples of dramatic irony in the story? What verbal irony can be seen? How does the author incorporate situational irony in the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the character of Penny Baker as the protagonist in Nicotine. How old is Penny? What are her objectives in the narrative? What obstacles does she face? How does she change as a result of her experiences?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 826 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample