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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. With whom does Renton crash when he comes to Scotland for Matty's funeral in A Present?

2. Where is Renton headed at the end of the novel?

3. What does Renton do with the drunk Second Prize in Trainspotting at Leith Central Station?

4. At the bar at the end of this chapter, what test does Renton's father give him?

5. What dish does Kelly put her tampon in in Eating Out?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Renton learn about Sick Boy in the celebration in Courting Disaster?

2. What uncharacteristic moment occurs with Renton in Straight Dilemmas No. 1?

3. Describe the interchange Renton has with an old schoolmate at the end of this chapter.

4. What demand does Renton's father make of Renton on his second day in bed?

5. How does the morning of There Is a Light That Never Goes Out end?

6. How does Renton end up in an all-night porno theater in London Crawling?

7. How does Davie take revenge on Alan Venters in Bad Blood?

8. How does Renton and Sharon's relationship change in Bang to Rites?

9. How does Kelly take revenge on some business men in Eating Out?

10. What does Renton find at Johnny Swan's in A Leg-Over Situation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about women in Trainspotting. Choose three women and discuss their place in the coterie of junkies and loser who comprise the center of the novel. How do they become attached to the group? Are they repelled by the drug-use or part of it? What do they lose within the group and what do they gain? Are any of them particularly well-defined as individuals?

Essay Topic 2

Undoubtedly, the two most unappealing characters of Trainspotting are Begbie and Sick Boy> Write an essay about these characters. Why are they so despicable? What goal do they have and what tactics do they use to try to achieve them? How do these two characters represent dual sides of sin, complementing each other in their ill deals and transgressions?

Essay Topic 3

Mark Renton is clearly the protagonist of Trainspotting, in that the reader most frequently shares his emotional life. Write an essay about three of his experiences and how the reader learns a lesson in surrogate:

Part 1) Why does Renton give Tommy his first hit of heroin, and is he aware of the peril involved? Discuss the clear-headedness of this moment and Renton's culpability in what follows. How does the inhumanity of this choice lead to moments of deep empathy later?

Part 2) Discuss Renton's worldview throughout the novel. What does he feel about friendship, and how does this color his attitude toward his mates? What role does heroin play in this worldview? Explore the transition of Renton out of this worldview.

Part 3) Discuss the final passages of the novel. Why does Renton choose to betray his mates in the final moment? What does he gain from it, and what introspection does he offer about the ramifications of the decision?

(see the answer keys)

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