View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Nick's hero?

2. Where does Nick plan on meeting Leo on their first date?

3. What does Leo like best about the painting of Jesus?

4. Where does Nick tell Ronnie to meet him?

5. When Ricky gets into the car with Nick and Wani, where does Ricky tell Wani his girlfriend is?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the tradition in the Fedden household having to do with the deer?

2. Why doesn't Nick like Strauss?

3. Why is the painting in the Charles home the kind of painting that Nick likes least?

4. What bothers Nick about being called a "twit" by Leo?

5. How does Wani drink his coffee?

6. Why is Wani nervous about leaving his things at the Pond?

7. Why does Nick want to go to Highgate Village?

8. What does Nick think of Norman Kent's weeping during the piano performance?

9. What is the difference of opinion between Polly and Nick about an eventual peerage for Bertrand Ouradi?

10. How is Gerald represented in the book about the election?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel opens with a quote from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Why has the author selected this quote? What parallels can you draw between Nick and Alice? Has Nick outgrown the world of the Feddens? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Deconstruct the concept of the "line of beauty". Find examples of when this term is used and explain all of the different meanings the "line of beauty" has throughout the text.

Essay Topic 3

Nick is more of a spectator than an actor in the decisions that affect his life. He acts like an appraiser of everyone else's judgments, values, and tastes. Find examples that show Nick to be the cool and removed spectator, critical of others, but unable to ultimately make decisions for himself. Then, analyze whether or not Nick is truly as devoid of power as he seems.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 746 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample