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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. In "Not Even," what does the speaker say being real does?

2. In "Künstlerroman," what is the name of the dog the speaker lost?

3. In "Not Even," what does the speaker say the word for weakness is in his language?

4. In "Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker," what sweet snack does the worker buy?

5. In "Reasons for Staying," by what light does the speaker read his books?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Not Even," what does a young woman tell the speaker that the speaker finds offensive?

2. Who were the main victims of many lynchings in "The Punctum"?

3. What is the poem "Toy Boat" about?

4. What does the speaker in "The Punctum" learn about?

5. What does the speaker make a list of in "Reasons for Staying"?

6. Who does the speaker wish to communicate with in "No One Knows the Way to Heaven"?

7. In "The Punctum," what does the tour guide say that historians have done?

8. What does the speaker do with Peter in "Nothing"?

9. What does the speaker do with the movie in "Künstlerroman"?

10. In "Nothing," what does the speaker wonder about himself and Peter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How, and through which specific poems, does Vuong address the topic of violence throughout this collection - both accidental and intentional? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How does Vuong experiment with different forms and structures of his poems throughout this collection? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Which specific aspects of childhood and adolescence does Vuong treat throughout this collection? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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