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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. Which of the following describes the woman in "The Lady in the Castle"?

2. At the end of "Someday I'm Going to Write a Primer . . ." Chinaski declares his love to whom?

3. In which of the following poems does Chinaski not focus on the hidden horrors of life?

4. In "The Shrinking Island," Chinaski's wife tells him not to step on_________.

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

Short Essay Questions

1. What allegory is present in "The Death of a Splendid Neighborhood"?

2. How are "Hard Times" and "Concrete" juxtaposed?

3. Why does Chinaski think he has so many female critics?

4. Is Bukowski seixst? Why or why not?

5. Describe Chinaski's thought process in "Everybody Talks Too Much."

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

7. Describe the poem "The Lady in the Castle."

8. What does the lion in "Invasion" represent?

9. How does Chinaski focus on the hidden horrors of life?

10. Describe the feelings Bukowski portrays in "Party's Over."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Chinaski enjoy solitude so much? Does he genuinely enjoy solitude, or is he being disingenuous?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss and analyze one metaphor that Chinaski has created in one of his poems to relate to modern American culture and interactions.

Essay Topic 3

Describe Bukowski's overall view of the world. Why does he see the world as mostly negative? What things are positive in the world, according to Bukowski? Why?

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