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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. According to Mailer in Chapter 5, how big is the praking lot tot he Pentagon?

2. What type of overtones are part of Mailer's speech in Chapter 10?

3. Where is the bus in Chapter 4 taking Mailer and the other marchers?

4. Which writer does Mailer think he is a stand-in for the young people in Chapter 7?

5. What type of quasi-religious ceremony does the music group perform in Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Norman Mailer's arrest in Chapter 6?

2. What fracas does Mailer get into in Chapter 2?

3. What comic episode happens when Mailer is getting changed for his arraignment in Chapter 8?

4. What permits does the Mobilization Committee get in Chapter 4?

5. How does the tone of the novel shift dramatically at the beginning of Book II?

6. How does Mailer think about his family in Chapter 5?

7. What do the MP's and the marchers have in common, according to Mailer in Chapter 6?

8. What train of people following the the march in Chapter 4?

9. Describe the several movements the arrested marchers have to make in this section?

10. How does Mailer determine it is time to get arrested at the end of Chapter 5?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Norman Mailer is an arrogant, hard-living, patently cynical person, but he cares passionately about what others think of him. When he sees someone who is more respected or more famous, Mailer is stricken with a combination of fascination and maddened jealousy. Write an essay about three such individuals. How does the narrative juxtapose these people with the character of Mailer? How does he react to them? Do they inspire anger, respect, or some combination of both in him?

Part 1) Robert Lowell

Part 2) William Sloane Coffin

Part 3) Noam Chomsky

Essay Topic 2

In the novel, New York and Washington, DC, are distinctly juxtaposed where one is a place of planning and thought and the other place of action of danger. Write an essay about the juxtaposition of these two cities. Which character best typifies the aesthetic of New York, in your opinion? Which character best typifies DC? What is the significance of the fact that many of the notables spend Saturday attempting to get back to New York for a society party? What does it mean that Mailer soon forgets about this goal?

Essay Topic 3

A good portion of the opening passages of Armies of the Night are as much about the niceties and snipes of the literary class in 1960's America as the protest culture of the same. Write an essay about Mailer's place and opinions in the world of prolific writers in the novel, focusing on three instances:

Part 1) Why does Mailer agree to come to the Pentagon march in Washington, DC? Discuss how this decision is more connected to his literary position in New York than his opinions on the Vietnam War? What does Mailer want to achieve through his involvement in the protest?

Part 2) Discuss the party held the first evening Mailer is in Washington, DC. What decisions does he make about the way that he treats the hostess? What is the reason for the awkward encounter Mailer has with Dwight Macdonald?

Part 3) Mailer enters the Ambassador presentation like a wrecking ball, attempting to destroy everyone around him. Discuss his reasons for doing this. What does he resent about those on the stage? How does Mailer want to be perceived by the audience? How does the popular reaction to his antics temper his behavior for the remainder of the weekend?

(see the answer keys)

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