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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 narrator's relationship with Sean develops during the time that both John F. Kennedy and ______________ died.

2. Which of the following is NOT true of Lou?

3. Sean becomes increasingly disturbed and ends up ____________________.

4. Where does the narrator spend a lot of time after Sean leaves?

5. Where do the narrator and the person in #124 live?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Sean's comment about a group of men having sex in a public restroom as being "subhuman" have a particular sting for the narrator?

2. What is significant about the energy created among the men after the group sexual encounter in the subway restroom

3. What does the narrator consider for his life after Paul commits suicide in order to leave a world that rejects people like him?

4. How can Sean's "subhuman" comment be viewed in another context regarding the narrator's letting go of the shame he used to have for his behavior and desires?

5. Why is the New York experience so important to the narrator's longing to be part of a community?

6. What changes the narrator's mind about having a sex change operation?

7. How can the raid on the Stonewall Inn be both a beginning and an ending of a gay rights movement?

8. How does the narrator feel about Lou's criticism of the narrator's work?

9. What is the reality of Lou's life as an engaged man?

10. What do the narrator's parents--and society in general--consider to be a "normal" lifestyle for their son?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

White is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony, and then briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 3

Create a character study of Sean. What are his physical characteristics? What are his motivations? What are his fears? What are his dreams? What else can you say about Sean?

(see the answer keys)

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