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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. Party Time gets busted for the con he runs with Bobby, but Bobby doesn't go to jail with him. Why not?

2. What happens to Oscar while in Reformatory?

3. Pepper turns the tables on the con Blood attempts and accuses him of what?

4. Pimps earn wages by psychological manipulation, but do NOT do what?

5. Who is young Bobby's first sexual encounter?.

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Party Time protect Bobby in Chapter 2, and why?

2. Did Blood's "pep talk" (beating) at the end of Chapter 6 have an effect on Runt in Chapter 7?

3. Why does Bobby/Slim say that from a pimp's perspective, looking back, Steve was an idiot and played the game with Mama all wrong?

4. In spite of having worked as a pimp for less than a full day in Chicago, Blood nevertheless provides Runt with a full set of "rules for whoring" in the neighborhood. Why does he do this and where would he have gotten these rules?

5. How does Pretty Preston reveal his true colors in Chapter 6?

6. Thinking about the content and purpose of Chapter 5 in the story, what does the title "The Jungle Fauna" mean? What or where is the Jungle? What or who is the fauna? (When thinking about the Jungle, remember the title of Chapter 2, "First Steps into the Jungle.")

7. What are two ways in which the Melody incident is haunting for Blood in Chapter 7?

8. How does it speak to Blood's salesmanship that he is able to score Runt as his own working girl after such a short period of time?

9. Another good name for Chapter 2 might be "Down a Dark Alley." What are three ways in which this name would be appropriate?

10. What is the essence of the "cop and blow" scheme in Chapter 10?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The following statement appears at the very beginning of the book "Pimp: The Story of My Life": "This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are use fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental." How does this statement affect the value of the story in your estimation?

Essay Topic 2

When Slim finally uses his intelligence towards a good and legitimate cause (studying the law so he can obtain his own early release) he is rewarded with an immediate positive feedback loop: he is released from prison early as he requested. How does this positive reinforcement encourage him to continue to employ his talents in positive directions?

Essay Topic 3

In the beginning of the book the author has Runt and only Runt to work for him. Gradually he acquires Ophelia and Chris, both of whom are described in some detail, are given names and have extensive interaction with Slim. By the end of the book, Slim routinely has 5 to 6 girls working for him at one time, sometimes 5 or 6 in multiple locations, and has high "turn-over." How do Slim's "girl-handling" techniques evolve through his pimping career and how does this progression become clear in the book? How does his business management style evolve as he ages? How does his environment affect his business (for example: the high cop to prostitute ratio in Cleveland)?

(see the answer keys)

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