View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which painting does Ellen Cherry sell for $7000?
(a) The objects.
(b) Boomer with the tongues.
(c) Nude Boomer with an ice cream cone instead of loins.
(d) A surreal landscape.

2. Who is left behind, never to leave the church?
(a) Conch Shell.
(b) Spoon.
(c) Can 'o Beans.
(d) Dirty Sock.

3. What "grave transgression" does Painted Stick commit?
(a) He misleads a human being seeking direction.
(b) He abandons the other objects.
(c) He strikes a human being.
(d) He speaks to a human being.

4. What shift is Ellen Cherry mostly working around Christmas time?
(a) Breakfast server.
(b) Cocktail waitress.
(c) Hostess.
(d) Lunch server.

5. What does Buddy call Muslims, Buddhists,and Hindus in light of a third world war?
(a) Fried meat.
(b) Cooked goose.
(c) Leftovers.
(d) Dead as doormice.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is realization associated with the seventh veil?

2. Why are the streets of New York deserted the night that Spike returns after being shot?

3. Who protects Spoon as she finds her way back to the Cathedral?

4. What information does Boomer give to Ellen Cherry in his letter?

5. What is Buddy's back-up plan if the Messiah doesn't come?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the group of objects in Ellen Cherry's underwear drawer.

2. Painted Stick strikes a human in order to save Spoon from being picked up. Explain why he feels so bad about this.

3. Explain the Vice President's concern regarding Buddy's plan to blow up the Dome of the Rock.

4. Why does Patsy's question concerning second marriage bother Buddy?

5. Why do you think that Robbins ends the novel with Spoon?

6. How can we interpret the fact that the ancient Salome performs the Dance of the Seven Veils in exchange for John the Baptiste's head and the modern Salome performs it because of Ellen Cherry's painting?

7. Describe what happens to Spoon when she falls out of the window.

8. Ellen Cherry is clearly upset by the disappearance of Spoon. Explain how you think she feels.

9. Throughout the novel so far, Ellen Cherry seems to be cosmically bound to the group of objects. As they try to escape, Buddy catches two of them. Which objects does he catch and is Buddy also cosmically connected to the objects? Why?

10. Describe what happens to Ellen Cherry when she plays the eye game looking at Spoon.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,505 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample