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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "Me and My Buddy," what does Chinaski do with his poem?
(a) He gives it away.
(b) He turns it into a paper crane.
(c) He uses it as a cushion.
(d) He rips it up.

2. What happens to Chinaski in "Everybody Talks Too Much"?
(a) He files for divorce.
(b) He meets a woman at the bar.
(c) He gets into a fight.
(d) He is pulled over by a cop.

3. In "Help Wanted," what does Chinaski recall doing?
(a) Reading.
(b) Drinking.
(c) Writing.
(d) Dating.

4. At the end of "Someday I'm Going to Write a Primer . . ." Chinaski declares his love to whom?
(a) Writing.
(b) His wife.
(c) The reader.
(d) His fears.

5. Where does the editor in "The Beautiful Lady Editor" help the poor?
(a) Africa.
(b) South America.
(c) Europe.
(d) Asia.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the following has happened to Chinaski in "Longshot"?

2. What is "An Ordinary Poem" about?

3. In "The Boil," for whom does Chinaski work?

4. What is the name of the woman that "Love Poem to a Stripper" is dedicated to?

5. What is the name of the second girl in "Those Girls We Followed Home"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the conclusion Chinaski arrives at in "Wearing the Collar" and "A Cat is a Cat is a Cat is a Cat."

2. Describe Chinaski's self-esteem.

3. How does Bukowski build a sense of foreboding in "Invasion"?

4. How does Bukowski use gallows humor and vaudeville in his poems?

5. Describe Bukowski's portrayal of populism in his poems.

6. What is the message of "Trying to Make It"?

7. How does Chinaski feel about the beautiful lady editor?

8. How and why does Chinaski focus on domestic life in some of the poems?

9. Why is "An Ordinary Poem" significant in terms of defining Chinaski?

10. Is Bukowski seixst? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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