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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. The protagonist of the story wants a career as a/an __________________.

2. How can Ivan best be described?

3. From what part of the country does Tex come?

4. "The Beautiful Room is Empty" takes place during the 1950s and 1960s in which country?

5. At what kind of party does the narrator meet the man in #91?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the premise of "The Beautiful Room is Empty"?

2. What is the significance of Betty and Kay to the narrator's life?

3. How does the narrator meet Tex and Morris?

4. How does the narrator categorize his life during his first year at college?

5. What does the narrator realize about himself over the course of the novel?

6. Who is William Everett Hunton, and what negative impact does he have on the lives of Annie and the narrator?

7. With whom does the narrator engage in heterosexual activity and what was the basis for the connections?

8. Describe the narrator's first year experiences at college.

9. What is the double-edged sword of the narrator experiencing gay sexual activity?

10. From what written piece is the name of the book taken, and what does it mean?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of the narrator's name not being identified? Why does the author leave the narrator nameless with the exception of Lou who calls the narrator "Bunny"? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

The role of parental influence is a strong one--mostly negative--on the narrator. Why was the narrator's sexual preference particularly hard on his father? What solution did the narrator's mother have for her son's "problem"? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the role of gays and lesbians in the 1960s. What precedents were they forced to follow? What restrictions did they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century gays and lesbians do not have?

(see the answer keys)

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