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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. Where did Sabbath go after visiting Roseanna at the hospital?

2. How was the 1989 scandal made public?

3. How does Sabbath find the place that he seeks?

4. While on the subway in New York, from which of the following plays does Sabbath recite lines?

5. While watching the beggars on the street, Sabbath thinks that he has failed as a street performer because he has not done which of the following?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part 8, why does Sabbath go to the cemetery?

2. Why was Sabbath escorted off the grounds by security when he went to visit Roseanna at the psychiatric hospital?

3. Why does Norman throw Sabbath out of his home?

4. On the first night of his stay with the Cowans, why is Sabbath in such a good mood at dinner?

5. What does Sabbath notice in Fish's house?

6. To whom does Sabbath link himself in the obituary that he composes on the subway?

7. What was the scandal that caused Sabbath to lose his job at the college?

8. How does Sabbath locate the cemetery where his parents are buried?

9. How does Sabbath convince Michelle to have an affair with him?

10. What is contained in the note that Norman leaves on the table for Sabbath on the first morning of his stay?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At one point, Sabbath mentions that all of the women in his life hated their fathers. Why do you think that is so? Why did a lack of paternal affection change them in a way that attracted them to Sabbath? What qualities did those women have that made them a target for Sabbath? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

In the novel, most of what Sabbath says is framed as biting sarcasm. But how much truth underlies his type of "humor"? What is the author trying to accomplish by framing Sabbath's attitudes and comments in a sarcastic fashion? Is it to merely entertain the reader? Or is there other significance to that method? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

In most cases, Sabbath is completely oblivious to the emotions of the people around him. How does his lack of empathy affect those people? Why is he unable to discern the emotions of others? What consequences have befallen Sabbath as a result of his inability to empathize with others? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

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