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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. What does Talbot swear to do one night in the future?
2. What do the police officers do to Blanchard before taking him to the station?
3. Why does Mason send the waiter away in "All the Great Writers?"
4. What does the unnamed narrator of "Trouble with a Battery" reveal to have been the reason he picked up a prostitute in the first place?
5. At what address are the surgeries on the president of the United States performed in "Swastika?"
Short Essay Questions
1. What leads up to Bukowski never seeing Jeff again in "A Drinking Partner?"
2. What is significant about the condition of the stolen corpse in "The Copulating Mermaid of Venice, California" and how do Tony and Bill react to it?
3. Describe Tito and Baby.
4. Who are some of the famous writers discussed in "The Day We Talk About James Thurber" and why?
5. What are Henry Mason's opinions about artists?
6. At the end of the story, what is revealed as the reason for the narrator's presence at the bar, and what does this suggest about his feelings on the whole encounter?
7. Why does Bukowski decide to find a better girlfriend than Madge at the end of the story?
8. Describe Martin Blanchard.
9. Describe the ironic encounter between Mason and the waiter at the end of "All the Great Writers."
10. What is significant about the U.S.S. Pueblo?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
What role does gambling play in Bukowski's stories? For what reasons does he view gambling as a chance to continually begin again? Why is it significant that he references betting on horses in many of his stories? How does he connect sex to gambling? How is this related to Bukowski's motivations in life? Develop a clear thesis statement around which to build this essay and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.
Essay Topic 2
How does Bukowski depict his different lovers throughout his stories? In what ways does he differentiate between his casual flings and those for whom he has true feelings? What does this suggest about his relationship to sex? What is significant about Bukowski portraying himself as being in an abusive relationship with Vicki in "3 Chickens?" How does this contrast with his loving sacrifice of a relationship with Marie in "A Lovely Love Affair?"
Essay Topic 3
In what ways do many of these stories deal a person's tendency towards self-destruction? How does Bukowski cast himself in many of these roles (in particular, in "25 Bums in Rags")? What are some of the common traits of those who cannot keep their lives together? How are characters such as Cass, Vicky, and Jeff similar in this regard? How is this connected with suicide? What does this suggest about Bukowski's thoughts on his own self-destruction?
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This section contains 1,398 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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