Daily Lessons This Section Contains 30 Daily Lessons

Daily Lessons This section contains 30 daily lessons. Each one has a specific objective and offers at least three (often more) ways to teach that objective. Lessons include classroom discussions, group and partner activities, in-class handouts, individual writing assignments, at least one homework assignment, class participation exercises and other ways to teach students about the text in a classroom setting. Use some or all of the suggestions provided to work with your students in the classroom and help them understand the text. Lesson 1

Objective: The foreword is presented as if it were non-fiction and factual; however it is part of an overall work of fiction. The objective of this lesson is discuss the preface as a whole and how it works within the novel.

1) 1) Have each student write a preface for their own novel in the same style as Breakfast of Champions. What real world facts would you include in the preface that relate to the rest of the novel? Think about how The Narrator includes facts about what happens in the novel, but describes them as external facts. What real world facts about your life would you include?

2) For class discussion: Are the facts in the foreword meant to be significant to the rest of the novel? Why, or why not? After some discussion, ask the class if if they think this preface is meant to function like other prefaces they have read.

3) For homework: The main events of the story are presented in the novel. Write an outline for how you think the story will progress based on these facts. What do you think might happen in between? What links the events to one another? Do you think this kind of set up is helpful to the reader? Lesson 2 Objective: In the preface, The Narrator, who is also a character within the book, claims to also be The Author. The objective of this lesson is to understand what The Narrator means by this claim.

1) 1) For class discussion: When The Narrator claims to also be The Author, does this also mean that the story could be biographical? Why, or why not? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.

2) Divide the class into small groups and have them read over the personal information The Narrator provides about himself. Have them debate which information could be biographical, which could be fictional, and why they think so.

3) For class discussion: What is the significance of The Narrator claiming he does not like the work and thinks it is written by someone named Philboyd Studge? Why, if he is also The Author, would he try to attribute the work to someone else? What does his dislike of the book mean?

4) For homework: Look up the definitions of "narrator" and "author" in the dictionary, legitimate websites, or any other reliable source. Apply the meanings to The Narrator and The Author in the book. Do they apply, or not? Why? Lesson 3 Objective: Chapter 1 has illustrations. The objective of this lesson is to discuss the illustrations and how they apply to the novel.

1) 1) Have each student draw their own illustration in the style of the novel's illustrations. What will you draw and why? What would it do/add to the text?

2) Divide the class into small groups to look over the chapter and discuss what the tone of the novel would be like without the illustrations. Would it change the tone? A little bit? Not at all? After some discussion, bring the class together to discuss what conclusion each group came to.

3) For homework: Look through children's books and their illustrations. How do these illustrations correspond to the text? Compare and contrast the illustrations in children's books to the illustration in Breakfast of Champions. Do the novel's illustrations have the same effect as a children's book? Why, or why not? Lesson 4

Objective: Writers can sometimes adopt certain styles of writing, regarding punctuation and typography. The objective of this lesson is to discuss the punctuation and typography that Vonnegut uses in Chapter 1 and how it applies to the narrative.

1) 1) Have each student write a couple paragraphs on any subject they want. It can be a short story, an opinion, observation, etc. Instruct the students that their tone/point of view should be conveyed through their punctuation and typography. What tone would your writing style convey?

2) For class discussion: Based on how Chapter 1 has been written, what do you foresee the rest of the novel being about based on this? What kind of tone do you think the novel will have? How do you think it will affect the outcome of upcoming events? Site specific examples from the text.

3) For homework: Think about the information you receive about Kilgore and Dwayne. Without the punctuation style utilized in Chapter 1, how does it change the reader's reaction to the rather pathetic and sad details on Kilgore's and Dwayne's lives? Do you think it is better that Vonnegut chose the style he used, or not? Why? Lesson 5

Objective: In Chapter 2, the pets of the two main characters are introduced. The objective of this lesson is to discuss how the characters' interactions with those pets further develop their character for the reader.

1) 1) Divide the class into small groups and have them examine Dwayne's crippled pet Labrador, Sparky. How does Dwayne interact with him? How does the bond Dwayne has with his dog further develop his character? Does it make him more sympathetic? Does it make the reader like him more? Dislike him? Bear in mind Dwayne is a widower.

2) Divide the class into small groups and have them examine Kilgore's relationship with his pet parakeet, Bill. What does he use Bill for? What does that utilization inform the reader about Kilgore's character? How does Kilgore interact with the bird? After examining both of these animal-human relationships, how do even the differing names of each pet shed light on the two characters?

3) For homework: Have you ever had a pet? Ever wanted a particular pet? How has a pet you had/have, or ever wanted expressed you? What was the reason you wanted that particular pet? Did that pet parallel you in personality? Write a page or two on the ways in which pets can shed light on a person. Lesson 6

Objective: In Chapter 2, the reader learns about one of the books, Plague On Wheels, that Kilgore has written. The reader also learns that Kilgore is an unknown writer. The objective of this lesson is to discuss how the plot of Kilgore's novel can possibly relate to his anonymity.

1) 1) Divide the class into small groups and have them examine the plot of Plague On Wheels. How could the self-destructive society of automobiles relate to Kilgore's anonymity? How does Kilgore's story possibly parallel Kilgore's own nature?

2) For class discussion: Plague On Wheels was published as filler material in a pornography magazine. Why do you think that is? Was it Kilgore's intention? Does he prefer to remain anonymous? Based on what we have learned thus farr about his character, would this make sense? Why, or why not? Cite specific examples from the text.

3) Have each student writer a short story. The story can be about whatever they want; however the plot of the story must somehow reflect something about themselves. It can be a habit they might have, an aspect of their personality, or anything else that they could convey through the plot of a story. Lesson 7

Objective: The reader understands at this point of the novel that Kilgore wishes to remain an anonymous author, but in Chapter 3 he is specifically written to by a fan. The objective of this lesson is to discuss this scene's irony.

1) 1) Divide the class into small groups and have them read over the scene together. Kilgore says he disregards the letter because it has the handwriting of a child, but is that the entire truth? Ask the groups to discuss why else Kilgore disregards the letter and if he was just trying to avoid the recognition.

2) For class discussion: Do you think Kilgore honestly does not want to be famous or acknowledged, or he is scared about what would happen in the event that he was? After some discussion, ask the class what they think Kilgore would be like if he were a Stephen King or John Grisham. How would notoriety affect Kilgore's life?

3) For homework: The book of Kilgore's that Eliot praises is Plague On Wheels, which is about a society of self-destructive automobiles. Write a couple of paragraphs as if you were a psychiatrist analyzing Kilgore's writing. Is there anything in the story that speaks of Kilgore's character? Sheds light on his desire to remain anonymous? Explain the irony of a writer not wanting to be recognized for his writing. Lesson 8

Objective: Kilgore accepts the invitation to be keynote speaker at the Midland City arts festival, but for specific reasons. The objective of this lesson is to discuss Kilgore's reasoning for accepting the invitation.

1) 1) Have each student draw a picture of the happy/sad theatrical masks and diagram them as if from Kilgore's perspective. Have arrows and explanations for the masks that Kilgore could potentially have said to present and explain to the class.

2) For class discussion: Kilgore wants to represent the failure of the arts. Does this infer that Kilgore believes himself to be a failure in the arts? After some discussion, point out to the class that if Kilgore is a failure, it is only because he wants to be.

3) Divide the class into small groups to discuss why Kilgore accepts the invitation to speak at the arts festival, when what he desires is anonymity. What is the meaning behind the irony of this decision? 4) For homework: Write the speech that Kilgore could potentially deliver at the arts festival. What would he say about the arts? What would he say about his own writing? Lesson 9

Objective: In Chapter 4, the reader is introduced to three more characters, all of whom are long-time associates of Dwayne. The objective of this lesson is to discuss how the introduction of these characters provides a new way for the reader to learn about Dwayne's past.

1) 1) Have each student draw a timeline for Dwayne's life, using Francine, Harry and Vernon as the reference points. They can draw pictures, write descriptions, cut out images from magazines, or any other creative choice that would effectively express Dwayne's life through these three characters.

2) Divide the class into three groups. Each group will represent either Francine, Harry, or Vernon. Using the information provided on each character in the novel, the groups will argue which character knows Dwayne the best based on their personal relationship with him.

3) For homework: Write a diary entry for one of the three characters (Francine, Harry, or Vernon) that talks about Dwayne and their personal relationship with him. If possible, include some memories the characters have of themselves and Dwayne that could have potentially happened based on what you learned about the characters in Chapter 4. Lesson 10

Objective: When he arrives in New York City, Kilgore goes to a pornography store and browses the material in the hopes of finding some of his work. The objective of this lesson is to discuss the irony surrounding this scene and how it lead to Kilgore's next story idea.

1) 1) For class discussion: What is the comical irony in Kilgore looking through pornography for his own published work? After some discussion, ask the class what is the irony in the pornographic images being completely unrelated to the text.

2) Divide the class into small groups and to discuss the parallel between Kilgore's stories being published in pornographic magazines and the story he comes up with about the people-eating-real-food pornography story. Is Kilgore's art imitating his life and vice versa?

3) For homework: Write a similar story to that of the story Kilgore imagines in Chapter 5. What kind of literary irony would your planet have? Lesson 11

Objective: The reader learns how Dwayne's wife, Celia, died and receives some more insight into his personal life and possible reasons for his growing mental instability. The objective of this lesson is to discuss Dwayne's personal life versus his business life.

1) 1) Divide the class into small groups to devise a pros and cons list for Dwayne's life. Designate which groups will devise a list of pros and cons for Dwayne's personal life and which groups will do the same for his business life. After the groups have completed their lists, pair them with a group who has the opposite list to discuss what each came up with.

2) For class discussion: Does Celia's death and the nature of how she died significantly impact Dwayne's increasing mental instability? Why, or why not? How does this then affect his personal life? His business life?

3) For homework: Write a short position paper on whether or not you think Dwayne's increasing insanity is due to the noted chemical balance, or his background of adoption and suicide. Is it truly his personal life that is the cause for his mental decline, or the chemical imbalance? Lesson 12 Objective: Kilgore sees a question inquiring about the meaning of life written on the bathroom wall of a pornographic theatre. The objective of this lesson is to discuss how Kilgore treats the question and the answer he decides upon.

1) 1) For class discussion: What is bizarre about the way that Kilgore attempts to answer the question in the bathroom? What makes his response to the question different from, say, the way one of the classmates would answer the question? Would another person even think about the question at all?

2) Divide the class into small groups and have them create a list of other thoughts Kilgore could try to beam up to the creator. Keep in mind that one of the thoughts he tries to beam is about the theatre's carpet.

3) For homework: Write a short story based on how Kilgore answers the question in the bathroom. In the same way that Kilgore devised a story about pornography, write a short story in the style that Kilgore would write, based on the question and his answer. Lesson 13 Objective: After leaving the pornography theatre, Kilgore experiences a laundry list of bad encounters all because he did not want to spend money on a hotel. The objective of this lesson is to discuss how Kilgore's decision to not spend money had momentous consequences beyond even himself.

1) 1) Have each student devise either a verbal interpretation or a visual interpretation of how Kilgore's ideology on American greed and the economy eventually lead to his incarceration and a panic among the residents of New York.

2) Divide the class into small groups to discuss the irony of Kilgore's comment becoming national news without him even realizing it. How does this incident play into the irony of Kilgore's character and life?

3) For homework: How does Kilgore's existential question he pondered in the pornography theatre's bathroom relate to what happens to him after he leaves? Write a page on how these two incidents are related or unrelated. Was Kilgore missing the big picture in Chapters 7 and 8 (i.e., thinking more so of himself and forgetting the rest of the world)? Lesson 14 Objective: In Chapter 9, Dwayne goes into the local hotel but is not recognized. As a result, Dwayne stands in line just like everyone else. The objective of this lesson is to discuss how this chapter sheds additional light on Dwayne's character development.

1) 1) Divide the class into two groups. One side will argue that Dwayne is actually a thoughtful, considerate person which is made apparent when he chooses to stand in line despite owning the hotel. The other group will argue that Dwayne is only acting this way because of his chemical imbalance. Both sides must cite specific examples from the text to support their answer.

2) Have each student write a comparison/contrast list between Dwayne and Kilgore. On paper, the two characters seem vastly different but, as the story progresses, how are they possibly becoming alike? What characteristics of Dwayne do we see in Chapter 9 that might link him to Kilgore?

3) For homework: Write a stream of consciousness that could be going through Dwayne's head as he stands in line at the hotel. What is he thinking about? The car he just crashed? His parents? His wife? Son? Lesson 15

Objective: In Chapter 10, Kilgore hitchhikes a ride with a commercial truck driver. The objective of this lesson is to discuss Kilgore's encounter with the truck driver and how it contributes to his character development. 1) 1) For class discussion: Which side of the argument makes more sense concerning conservation: the truck driver's, or Kilgore's? Cite specific examples from the discussion to support your answer.

2) Divide the class into small groups to discuss what new, or enlightening information the reader learns about Kilgore's character. Does it shake any previous assumptions about him? Why, or why not?

3) For homework: Write a diary entry for the truck driver following his first meeting with Kilgore. What does he think about the man? What does he notice about him? Does he find Kilgore's argument on conservation compelling, or ridiculous? What does he think about Kilgore not being able to remember his name? Lesson 16

Objective: Dwayne's increasing descent into insanity affects his interactions with people at the dealership in Chapter 11. The objective of this lesson is to discuss what role Dwayne's instability played in his encounters with Wayne Hoobler and Harry.

1) 1) Have each student write a comparison and contrast chart for Dwayne and Wayne. What are the similarities that Wayne sees between the two men that connects them? How is Dwayne's reaction to Wayne similar to Wayne's behavior? Are they not similar at all?

2) Divide the class into small groups to discuss Dwayne's interaction, or lack thereof, with Harry. How does Harry interpret Dwayne this time? How does it affect Harry? Why did he choose to treat Harry that way?

3) For homework: If you were a third party observer at the dealership during Dwayne's encounters with Wayne and Harry, what would they have looked like? Write a short scene describing how Dwayne's, Wayne's and Harry's behavior seem from a nonpartisan, third party point of view. Lesson 17

Objective: The conversation that the truck driver and Kilgore engage in when they arrive to Philadelphia hits on several mundane topics. The objective of this lesson is to discuss how, although boring for the characters, the conversation amuses the reader.

1) 1) Divide the class into small groups and have them come up with a short dialogue/scene to act out in front of the class. The conversation can be between the people in the group and should mirror the topics of the driver's and Kilgore's conversation: boring, pointless, mundane. The other students will watch the scene and critique the group afterward on what they found humorous as the observers.

2) Have each student write about a time that they made polite conversation with a stranger. What did they talk about? What topic, from their experience, seems to always be brought up? Afterward, the class will come together and discuss how their own experience with this kind of conversation relates to the scene between Kilgore and the driver. What was Vonnegut's point in writing this scene?

3) For homework: Kilgore's character is clearly a creative and thoughtful person, as the past chapters have shown with his story ideas and personal thoughts. Write an explanation for why Kilgore, when he is with other people, is more subdued and not as interesting than when he is on his own. Lesson 18

Objective: In Chapter 13, the reader is introduced to Dwayne's twin brothers Kyle and Lyle. The objective of this lesson is to discuss these characters and their presence in Dwayne's life.

1) 1) For class discussion: Based on what is learned about Dwayne's adoption and Kyle and Lyle at this point, is it possible that Dwayne's insanity is due to his troubling upbringing? Why, or why not? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answer.

2) Divide the class into small groups to discuss the Sacred Miracle Cave. How is it introduced in Chapter 13 and how does it develop the chapter? Does the information about the cave infer anything about Dwayne's relationship with the twins?

3) For homework: Write a stream of consciousness for what could be going through Dwayne's head when the twins come to visit him at the dealership and talk about the cave. Based on how Dwayne interacts with the twins, what is he most likely thinking about? Lesson 19

Objective: As Kilgore and the truck driver drive through West Virginia, several coincidences linking information, events and people in the book are mentioned. The objective of this lesson is to discuss those coincidences and what influence they have on the narrative.

1) 1) Divide the class into small groups and have them look through Chapter 14 for all of the coincidences that are mentioned. Who is linked to whom? What about places? History? Stories? After compiling a list, have the groups discuss what they think the coincidences are supposed to mean. 2) For class discussion: Following the small group discussions about the chapter's coincidences, bring the class together to discuss what they found. Were the coincidences monumental, or, in fact, inconsequential in terms of the novel? Why, or why not? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answer.

3) Divide the class into small groups again and have them create a visual presentation of the coincidences. The roulette wheel story, the driver having read the roulette wheel story, Kilgore's remaining anonymous, the coal mines, Eliot's ownership of the coal mines - and any other coincidence mentioned in the story should be visually represented on the map. Show the links each coincidence has to each other, people, places, etc.

4) For homework: Write about a time you might have experienced a random coincidence. Was it monumental? Trivial? Unsurprising? Uninspiring? Relate your experience to Kilgore's in Chapter 14. Lesson 20 Objective: In Chapter 15, the reader learns more information about Francine and Dwayne's relationship. The objective of this lesson is to discuss their relationship and what role it plays within the narrative.

1) 1) Divide the class into small groups to discuss the conversation between Francine and Dwayne in the motel. Is it significant, or trivial like the conversation between Kilgore and the driver? What does it foreshadow? After some discussion, have each group present what they believe will happen later in the novel.

2) Have each student write a page or two on what they think is the significance in mentioning Francine's measurements in Chapter 15. Patty Keene's measurements are also mentioned. Does it shed light on her relationship with Dwayne?

3) For class discussion: Was it Francine's suggestion about opening up a chicken franchise what set Dwayne off into a rage, or is Dwayne simply sinking deeper into insanity?

4) For homework: Write a diary entry for Francine following her encounter with Dwayne at the motel. What did she think about his reaction to her suggestion? What are her thoughts on their conversation? Has she noticed Dwayne's recent erratic behavior? Lesson 21

Objective: Kilgore's novel, Now It Can Be Told, is described in Chapter 16. The objective of this lesson is to discuss Kilgore's novels and its implications. 1) 1) Divide the class into small groups and have them look back on the prologue and the information The Narrator provides about himself. Does that information apply to the concept of Kilgore's novel? If so, discuss how Breakfast of Champions could be partly biographical. If not, discuss how Kilgore's own personality relates to the novel.

2) Have each student write a page or two on why they think Dwayne is going to personally relate to Now It Can Be Told. What about Dwayne and how his character has progressed throughout the novel makes him susceptible to the message in Kilgore's novel?

3) For homework: After learning about the plot of Now It Can Be Told, imagine that you have read this book. What kind of message would you take away from it? Is there anything in the text you would agree with, or would you find it ridiculous and unsubstantiated? Lesson 22 Objective: Bunny Hoover, Dwayne's son, is introduced in Chapter 17. The objective of this lesson is to discuss how Bunny's character is developed.

1) 1) For class discussion: How does the description of Bunny's physical appearance play into his life now? How is his physical appearance a metaphor for how he lives his life?

2) Have each student write a couple of diary entries for Bunny's character while he was in military school. Did he think about his father and mother? Did he resent Dwayne for sending him to military school? Was he happy there? Use the information provided in Chapter 17 to substantiate your entries.

3) Divide the class into small groups to discuss Bunny's trance-like state while he is playing the piano. Why do you think he employs this tactic? What do you believe he is thinking about when he does this? Where do you think he learned this trick?

4) For homework: The Narrator notes that both his mother and Bunny's mother, Celia, were mentally unstable in their lives. As we see Dwayne slowly losing grip on reality, is it possible that Bunny could eventually succumb to the same fate? Write a page of explanation for your answer. Lesson 23

Objective: Chapter 18 develops the narrative tension that has been building since the prologue. The objective of this lesson is to discuss how narrative tension develops in this chapter. 1) 1) Divide the class into small groups and have them discuss the scene in the hotel lounge. Each group will devise a seating plan for this scene, indicating who is sitting where and with who they believe the overlapping encounters will occur.

2) Have each student write a couple of paragraphs explaining why they think The Narrator chose to put himself in the hotel lounge. What does it do for the tone of the scene? Why are The Narrator's eyes hidden? Does it remind the reader that this is this is fictional and the characters are fictional?

3) For class discussion: What is the significance of Kilgore and the driver experiencing a traffic jam? How does it lend to the narrative flow?

4) For homework: Write any additions, subtractions or any literary changes you would include in this scene to further heighten the narrative tension. Would you add another character? Would you have it in a different location? Remember to give explanation for the changes you make to this scene. Lesson 24

Objective: Three more characters enter the hotel lounge, Rabo Karabekian, Beatrice Keedlser and Boonie MacMahon. Focus of the chapter is given to their conversation. The objective of this lesson is to discuss why these characters and their conversation is given emphasis.

1) 1) Divide the class into small groups to examine the conversation between Rabo, Beatrice and Bonnie. Are there any other conversations in the novel that mirror this one? If so, what does that say about the conversation between the three lounge patrons?

2) For class discussion: The argument between Bonnie and Rabo ends with them both deciding that Dwayne's dog, Sparky, would be a notable character in a novel. What was The Narrator trying to get across to the reader with this argument? What is he saying about details? After some discussion, ask the class if, based on random claims and details given through the book, are all characters, in fact, of equal importance?

3) For homework: Create three new characters that could be included in this scene. Who are they? What do they do? What are they talking about? Keep in mind that Beatrice, Bonnie and Rabo have no real connection to Kilgore or Dwayne. Based on what has been discussed, these characters should have just as much importance as Kilgore or Dwayne. Lesson 25

Objective: When Kilgore enters the Midland City Holiday Inn, he is surprised to find that the desk clerk is yet another fan of his writing. The objective of this lesson is to discuss the exchange between Kilgore and the desk clerk and how it furthers Kilgore's character development.

1) 1) For class discussion: The desk clerk claims that Kilgore can free Midland City from its complacency. What does he mean by this? What about Midland City is complacent? What is it about Kilgore's writing that the desk clerk thinks is not complacent?

2) Divide the class into small groups to discuss why Kilgore claimed to have a negative message. Pick through his stories that have been mentioned throughout the book and discuss why those stories may or may not have his intended negative message.

3) For homework: Who is the desk clerk? Write a short background story for the desk clerk on how he came to read and become a fan of Kilgore's stories. Why was the desk clerk originally drawn to Kilgore's stories? What was the message he took from Kilgore's stories? Lesson 26 Objective: Kilgore realizes that The Narrator is watching him in Chapter 21, and thinks about his own existence as a fictional character. The objective of this lesson is to discuss Kilgore as a fictional character.

1) 1) For class discussion: What is the parallel between Kilgore's thoughts of being a fictional character and the very book he has written to present at the arts festival? How does Kilgore's existence mirror the content of his novel?

2) Divide the class into small groups and have them discuss what The Narrator means when he says Kilgore is the only character "perverse" enough to realize he is a character within a story. Compose a list of similarities between The Narrator and Kilgore. What connects these two people?

3) For homework: If you were The Narrator, what would you have the characters doing in the hotel lounge? How would you construct the scene if you could physically be in it and watch what you have created? Lesson 27

Objective: The Narrator decides to speed up the pace of the novel by dispelling insignificant information. This directly contrasts what he discusses, however, in Chapter 19 about the equal significance of all characters. The objective of this lesson is to discuss The Narrator's intent and reliability.

1) 1) Divide the class into two groups. One group will argue that The Narrator is reliable and has sound narrative construction. The other group will argue that The Narrator is unreliable and contradictory to his own claims. After some discussion, ask both sides if the previous twenty-one chapters are to be discarded as insignificant. Both sides must cite specific examples from the text.

2) Divide the class into small groups. Each group will go over what The Narrator decides to take out or change in order to speed up the narrative pace, and discuss whether or not those were sound decisions. Also discuss what literary changes you would have made in order to accomplish The Narrator's objective in Chapter 22.

3) For homework: Reread a story you have written either in class, or any other story. Look over the story and decide what changes you could make to the narrative pace, or any other literary element you feel should be changed. Write an explication of why you have made those changes. Lesson 28

Objective: In Chapter 23, Dwayne's fateful rampage occurs after reading Kilgore's novel, Now It Can Be Told. The objective of this lesson is to discuss Dwayne's rampage and its cause.

1) 1) For class discussion: Does Dwayne truly believe Kilgore's novel's message and that is what set him off on a violent rampage? Or, is Dwayne truly suffering from a chemical imbalance and this would have happened at some point? Support your answer with specific examples from the text.

2) Divide the class into small groups to discuss Now It Can Be Told. Is the book's message truly inspirational? Why does Dwayne take from this message of being the only freethinker that he has the right to violently accost everyone in his path? Did Kilgore intend for this to be the message? How would each group interpret the novel?

3) For homework: Look up the philosophical text, Leviathan, by Thomas Hobbes, and compare its intended message to Kilgore's novel. What happens when there is no government, or rules to govern people's actions within a society? How does this relate to Dwayne's rampage after believing he is the only freethinker and can therefore do as he pleases? Lesson 29

Objective: Works of fiction typically have some kind of resolution at the completion of the narrative. The objective of this lesson is to discuss Breakfast of Champions' resolution.

1) 1) For class discussion: Does Breakfast of Champions have a sound resolution? Why, or why not? After some discussion, ask the class if it may have a resolution within the constraints of unconventional narrative. 2) Have each student write what they believe the difference to be between a story concluding and a story ending. Use the finale of the novel to explain your answer. Students will pair up following the written exercise and critique each other's papers.

3) For homework: Following the last chapter, what might the reader question? Were there any lose ends, characters, or holes in the narrative, that you were left wondering about that went unanswered? Write about what you think was not answered, and if you think it even needs to be answered. Lesson 30

Objective: The Epilogue functions very much as the Prologue, as seemingly separate from the actual narrative. The objective of this lesson is to discuss the Epilogue and its function within the novel.

1) 1) Divide the class into small groups to create a Venn Diagram between the Prologue and the Epilogue. What are the similarities that have them overlap? What is distinctive of each within its own right? Each diagram will be presented and explained to the class.

2) For class discussion: The Narrator comes face-to-face with Kilgore and confirms his belief of being a fictionalized character. Is Kilgore, in fact, a self- representation of The Narrator? Why, or why not? Support your answer with specific examples from the text.

3) Divide the class into small groups to discuss The Narrator's celebration of his 50th birthday. What is contradictory about setting his characters free and telling Kilgore about his future?

4) For homework: Write a hypothetical letter to Vonnegut about Breakfast of Champions. What would you like to say to the author, or ask him? Keep Eliot Rosewater's initial letter to Kilgore in mind.

This complete Daily Lessons contains 5,759 words. This Lesson Plan contains 36,522 words (approx. 122 pages at 300 words per page) . Multiple Choice

This section contains 180 multiple choice questions about Breakfast of Champions. Multiple choice questions test a student's recall and understanding of the text. Use these questions for chapter quizzes, homework assignments or tests. Jump to the quiz/homework section for the multiple choice worksheets.

Multiple Choice - Preface

1. What event is Kilgore invited to attend in Midland City? a) Local arts festival. b) English literature convention. c) European film festival. d) University professors' convention.

2. What is Kilgore invited to do at the event in Midland City? a) Write speeches for the guest speakers. b) Develop a seating arrangement. c) Deliver the keynote address. d) Usher guests to their seats.

3. Who is undergoing a mental collapse at the beginning of the book? a) The Narrator. b) Dwayne Hoover. c) The Author. d) Kilgore Trout.

4. What does Dwayne demand from Kilgore when he first meets him? a) A handshake. b) A sum of money. c) A message. d) Nothing.

5. Who does Dwayne believe the insight he gains from reading Kilgore's novel is from? a) Creator of the Universe. b) Satan. c) President of the United States. d) His late father.

6. What does Dwayne believe about himself after reading Kilgore's novel? a) He is an omniscent and all powerful being. b) He is God's chosen one. c) He is the only individual with free will. d) He is immortal and impervious to death.

7. What does Dwayne believe about everyone else after reading Kilgore's novel? a) They are sheep. b) They do not really exist. c) They are robots. d) They are inferior to him.

8. What does Dwayne do following his reading of Kilgore's novel? a) Burns the book. b) Flees from Midland City. c) Goes on a violent rampage. d) Visits estranged friends and family.

9. Who influenced The Narrator in his earlier life? a) The Author. b) Phoebe Hurty. c) Dwayne Hoover. d) Kilgore Trout.

10. What was The Narrator aware of and disturbed by as a young adolescent? a) Anthropology. b) Diseases. c) Human anatomy. d) Astronomy.

11. Who does The Narrator feel the novel was written by? a) Dwayne Hoover. b) Kilgore Trout. c) Philboyd Studge. d) Phoebe Hurty.

12. What does The Narrator claim the book to be in terms of himself? a) A mirror to his soul. b) A gift to his son. c) His birthday present. d) His ultimate literary idolization.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 1

1. Where does Kilgore live? a) Rochester, N.Y. b) Cohoes, N.Y. c) Syracuse, N.Y. d) West Chester, N.Y.

2. How does Kilgore make his living? a) Installs aluminum window frames. b) Literature professor. c) Finance consultant. d) Cleans pools.

3. What genre does Kilgore prefer to write? a) Fantasy fiction. b) Science fiction. c) Non fiction d) Thriller.

4. Where can Kilgore's manuscripts typically be found? a) Time Magazine. b) Foreign magazines. c) Pornographic magazines. d) Comic books.

5. What does Kilgore learn in school about the discovery of America? a) It was discovered earlier than 1492. b) It was established by missionaries. c) It was established through fair trade. d) It was established by weaponery and slavery.

6. What social status is Kilgore categorized as? a) White collar. b) Poor. c) Rich. d) Blue collar.

7. What does Kilgore think about Americans? a) They are gracious. b) They are greedy. c) They are superior. d) They are ignorant.

8. What does Dwayne Hoover do for a living? a) Contractor. b) Manufacturer. c) Store clerk. d) Car salesman. 9. What is Dwayne described as in terms of his wealth? a) Rags to riches. b) Self-made man. c) Ostentatious. d) Nouveu-riche.

10. What is Dwayne's medical condition mentioned in Chapter 1? a) Alzheimer's Disease. b) Schizophrenic. c) Advanced dementia. d) Chemically imbalanced.

11. What does The Narrator foreshadow about Dwayne and Kilgore? a) Dwayne will read Kilgore's book. b) Dwayne and Kilgore will become friends. c) Dwayne will kill Kilgore. d) Dwayne and Kilgore will become enemies.

12. What does The Narrator foreshadow Kilgore convincing Dwayne about? a) Dwayne's ancestors once rules the planet. b) Dwayne is the only thinking person on the planet. c) Dwayne is not of this planet. d) Dwayne is destined for more important things.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 2

1. What is Dwayne's relationship status? a) Married. b) Widower. c) Single. d) Divorced.

2. What kind of dog does Dwayne have? a) Labrador. b) Golden retriever. c) Schnauzer. d) Terrier.

3. What is the name of Dwayne's dog? a) Sparky. b) Max. c) Odie. d) Spike. 4. What is the name of the house servant that Dwayne employs? a) Laura Daniels. b) Dorothy Lewis. c) Lottie Davis. d) Denise Lennihan.

5. What kind of pet does Kilgore have? a) Cat. b) Parakeet. c) Turtle. d) Hamster.

6. What is the name of Kilgore's pet? a) Sam. b) Bill. c) Max. d) Duke.

7. What does Kilgore believe about mirrors? a) They can expose the ultimate truth about a person. b) They are thin spots between alternate realities. c) They serve as portals to the past. d) They allow humans to give in to vanity.

8. What does Kilgore refer to mirrors as? a) Pools. b) Windows. c) Leaks. d) Ponds.

9. How old is Kilgore in Chapter 2? a) Sixty. b) Seventy. c) Fifty-five. d) Sixty-five.

10. What is the title of one of Kilkgore's science fiction novels? a) Universal Questions. b) The Destruction of Earth. c) Plague on Wheels. d) Alternate Realities.

11. What does Kilgore's novel tell the story of? a) Society of talking animals. b) Society of living automobiles. c) Society of space monkeys. d) Society of people aging backwards.

12. Where was Kilgore's novel published? a) In a women's magazine. b) In a comic book. c) In a book of pornography. d) In a children's book.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 3

1. Who does Kilgore receive a fan letter from, that praises his work Plague On Wheels? a) Eliot Rosewater. b) Philboyd Studge. c) Dwayne Hoover. d) Phoebe Hurty.

2. What book of Kilgore's does his fan praise in the letter? a) Alternate Realities. b) Galaxy Cruise. c) Plague on Wheels. d) Slaughterhouse Five

3. Why does Kilgore believe the fan letter was written by a child? a) There are stickers on the letter. b) He cannot read the handwriting. c) He knows who the child is. d) The spelling and grammar is poor.

4. Who does Kilgore receive a letter from in Chapter 3, asking him to speak at an arts festival? a) Dwayne Hoover. b) Philboyd Studge. c) Fred T. Barry. d) Eliot Rosewater.

5. Where is Kilgore invited to in the letter he receives? a) A university. b) A fashion show. c) A car convention. d) An arts festival.

6. What is Kilgore asked to be in the letter he receives? a) A substitute teacher. b) An usher. c) Keynote speaker. d) A model.

7. Where is the event Kilgore is asked to visit in Midland City? a) Mildred Barry University. b) Mildred Barry Exhibition Center. c) Mildred Barry Memorial Center for the Arts. d) Mildred Barry Elementary School.

8. Who recommended Kilgore for the event he is asked to attend in Chapter 3? a) Fred T. Barry. b) Philboyd Studge. c) Dwayne Hoover. d) Eliot Rosewater.

9. How much is the check for that is enclosed in the letter that Kilgore receives? a) Two thousand dollars. b) Three thousand dollars. c) One thousand dollars. d) Five hundred dollars.

10. What is the check meant for that Kilgore receives with the letter? a) Bribe money. b) Medical expenses. c) Award money. d) Travel expenses.

11. Why does Kilgore decide to go to the event in Midland City that he is invited to? a) To represent his family name. b) To represent the dark side of the arts. c) To represent success in adulthood. d) To represent Midland City.

12. What does Kilgore bring with him to Midland City? a) His pet. b) A moldy tuxedo. c) His mistress. d) His books.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 4

1. Who commits suicide at the beginning of Chapter 4? a) Phoebe Hurty. b) Fred T. Barry. c) Kilgore's wife. d) Dwayne's wife.

2. What did Dwayne's biological parents do to him when he was a child? a) Took him out of school. b) Physically abused him. c) Verbally abused him. d) Abandoned him.

3. Who is Dwayne's secretary? a) Phoebe Hurty. b) The Narrator. c) The Author. d) Francine Pefko.

4. Who is Dwayne's number one salesman? a) Philboyd Studge. b) Kilgore Trout. c) Eliot Rosewater. d) Harry LeSabre.

5. Who sends Dwayne into a rage with a comment about adoption? a) Harry LeSabre. b) Vernon Garr. c) Kilgore Trout. d) Philboyd Studge.

6. Instead of shooting himself, what does Dwayne do in an effort to end his life? a) Hangs himself. b) Crashes his car. c) Picked a fight with someone. d) Swallows pills.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 5

1. Where does Kilgore travel to at the beginning of Chapter 5? a) Baltimore. b) Washington D.C. c) Philadelphia. d) New York City.

2. What does Kilgore browse through at a book store? a) Short story books. b) Fiction books. c) Non-fiction books. d) Pornographic books.

3. Where does Kilgore go to spend the night, because it is cheaper than a hotel? a) The park. b) A bowling alley. c) The subway. d) A pornographic theatre.

4. What does Kilgore think about as he watches a movie in Chapter 5? a) His books. b) His childhood. c) His pet. d) His speech.

5. What is the science fiction story that Kilgore comes up with about? a) Food that is coal-based derivatives. b) Dogs walking humans. c) Society where people age backwards. d) Living on the moon and traveling to earth.

6. What is the plague that infests the planet in the science fiction story Kilgore comes up with? a) Plague of ignorance. b) Plague of pleasure. c) Plague of pornography. d) Plague of stupidity.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 6

1. Which family member does Dwayne think about in Chapter 6? a) His grandmother. b) His father. c) His son. d) His wife.

2. Why does Dwayne think about a particular family member in Chapter 6? a) The person is dead. b) He is angry with that person. c) He misses the person. d) The person left him.

3. How did Dwayne's wife die? a) By drowning. b) By ingesting a powerful solvent. c) By slitting her wrists. d) By hanging herself.

4. What is causing Dwayne's continual mental instability? a) Drugs. b) Lack of testosterone. c) A chemical imbalance. d) Medication he is taking.

5. What did the element that Celia ingested do to her? a) Halted her appetite. b) Caused vomiting. c) Dehydrated her. d) Dissolved her insides.

6. Why is Dwayne's wife dead? a) It was an accident. b) She was murdered. c) She killed herself. d) Dwayne killed her.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 7

1. What does Kilgore see while in the bathroom stall? a) A letter to him written on the wall. b) Blood on the floor. c) Someone's purse. d) A question written on the wall.

2. What does the writing on the bathroom wall say? a) It is Kilgore's name and address. b) It says something mean about someone Kilgore doesn't know. c) It asks about the meaning of life. d) It predicts what happens in the future.

3. What does Kilgore decide after reading what he saw written in the bathroom? a) To live his life as he has been doing. b) To act as the eyes, ears and conscious of the creator. c) To join a new religion. d) To kill himself.

4. What does Kilgore imagine about himself after reading what was written on the bathroom wall? a) He is destined for greatness. b) He is experiencing important things. c) He has been chosen by a higher power. d) He is the only truly enlightened person.

5. What does Kilgore attempt to do after reading what was written on the bathroom wall? a) Create a new language. b) Start a seminar on science fiction. c) Beam his thoughts to the creator. d) Contact alien life forms.

6. What happens to Kilgore after he leaves the bathroom in Chapter 7? a) He strikes a conversation with manager. b) He spills popcorn all over the floor. c) He is asked to leave because the theatre is closing. d) He lays down on a row of chairs and falls asleep.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 8

1. Where does Kilgore walk after he leaves the pornographic theater? a) Central Park. b) 42nd Street. c) Madison Avenue. d) 40th Street.

2. Who stops Kilgore as he is walking from the pornographic theater? a) A tourist. b) A police officer. c) A taxi driver, d) A prostitute.

3. Where does Kilgore wake up after walking the street in Chapter 8? a) Central Park. b) A hotel. c) The pornography theatre. d) An alleyway.

4. What does Kilgore discover when he wakes up after walking the streets Chapter 8? a) He has lost his speech. b) He lost his keys. c) He has been robbed, raped and beat up. d) He has a large sum of money.

5. After going to the New York police station, what do the police assume Kilgore to be? a) Mentally unstable. b) A con artist. c) A tourist. d) A vagrant.

6. What happens after the newspapers pick up a comment Kilgore makes to the police? a) People berate Midland City. b) Kilgore is asked not to give a speech anymore. c) People start boycotting the arts festival. d) NYC citizens think there is a new crime wave.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 9

1. What ethnicity is Cyprian Ukwende? a) Indaro. b) Ugandan. c) Egyptian. d) South African.

2. What is Cyprian's vocation? a) Astrologist. b) Cancer researcher. c) Physician. d) Biologist.

3. Why is Cyprian staying in a hotel? a) He is newly employed and has not found a home. b) He does not have enough money for a house. c) He does not have the time to cook and clean for himself. d) He finds it easier to live in a hotel.

4. Who owns part of the Holiday Inn? a) Cyprian. b) Dwayne. c) Eliot Rosewater. d) Kilgore.

5. Who also checks into the hotel along with Cyprian? a) Kilgore. b) Philboyd. c) Dwayne. d) Eliot.

6. Where does Cyprian work? a) A family clinic. b) A pharmacy. c) A research center. d) A local hospital.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 10

1. What does Kilgore do after being released from the NYC police station? a) Catches a cab. b) Rides the subway. c) Sees an old friend and goes for a drive. d) Catches a ride on a commercial truck.

2. What does Kilgore and the person he catches a ride with talk about? a) Conservation of natural resources. b) The degradation of American politics. c) Petitioning to stop drilling. d) The burning down of rain forests.

3. Where do Kilgore and the person he hitchhiked a ride with drive through first after Kilgore gets in? a) Poisoned swamps of N.J. b) Power plants in South Jersey. c) Dumping grounds in the city. d) Projects in the city.

4. In Chapter 10, what is Kilgore's contrary position to the driver's conversation? a) God creates natural disasters even if conservation occurs. b) Conserving does not work. c) No one cares about conserving. d) It is too difficult to mobilize people to conserve.

5. Later in the day after Kilgore gets a ride, what does Kilgore call the person he watches eating in the diner? a) An idiot. b) Pleasant. c) A glutton. d) Enlightened.

6. What does Kilgore do for the rest of the drive after he and the driver leave the diner? a) Counts the number of red cars. b) Reads signs on trucks. c) Reads a book. d) Falls asleep.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 11 1. Where does Dwayne eat breakfast at the beginning of Chapter 11? a) His house. b) A hotel. c) A diner. d) The park.

2. Who sits near Dwayne during breakfast? a) Kilgore. b) Eliot. c) Philboyd. d) Cyprian.

3. What happens to Dwayne when he leaves the hotel? a) He gets hit by a car. b) He provokes someone to fight with him. c) He resumes his unstable behavior. d) He feels normal and continues on with his day.

4. Why does Wayne Hoobler accost Dwayne at the car dealership? a) Dwayne had double crossed him in the past. b) Dwayne will not give him a job. c) Dwayne threw the first punch. d) Dwayne used racial slurs in his presence.

5. What is going on at the car dealership the day Wayne accosts Dwayne? a) An employee's birthday. b) Casual Friday. c) Seize the Day promotion. d) Hawaiian Days promotion.

6. Why does Dwayne ignore Harry after Harry approaches him at the car dealership? a) Dwayne thinks he is hallucinating Harry. b) Dwayne has never liked Harry. c) Dwayne has more important things on his mind. d) Dwayne thinks Harry is stealing money.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 12

1. Where do Kilgore and the driver arrive at the beginning of Chapter 12? a) Philadelphia. b) Washington D.C. c) New York. d) Midland City. 2. What is the day on which Kilgore and the driver arrive at the city in Chapter 12? a) Day after Memorial Day. b) Day after Veteran's Day. c) Day after Labor Day. d) Day before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

3. What does Kilgore muse about after arriving in the city in Chapter 12? a) How he wonders if he lives in an alternate reality. b) How the world is how it should be. c) Where he should send his latest story. d) If he is meant to be where he is that day for a reason.

4. What is one of the things Kilgore and the driver talk about as they travel through the city? a) Gardening. b) Car engines. c) Aluminum siding. d) Plumbing.

5. How many times does Kilgore tell the driver he has been married? a) Two times. b) Four times. c) Once. d) Three times.

6. What does Kilgore tell the driver about his now-adult son? a) He misses him. b) He is not what he expected. c) He admires his son's accomplishments. d) He does not know where he is.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 13

1. What is Harry wearing at the car dealership in Chapter 13? a) A bright yellow blazer. b) Plaid pants. c) A Halloween costume. d) A Hawaiian costume.

2. What does Harry infer about Dwayne's ignoring him at the car dealership? a) That Dwayne thinks Harry is unfaithful to his wife. b) That Dwayne is going to fire him. c) That the company is in trouble. d) That Dwayne knows Harry is a transvestite. 3. Who are Kyle and Lyle? a) Dwayne's children. b) Dwayne's uncles. c) Dwayne's twin brothers. d) Dwayne's cousins.

4. What do Kyle and Lyle say is happening at the Sacred Miracle Cave? a) Too many animals are nesting inside. b) Kids have been spray painting the cave walls. c) It is filling up with industrial waste. d) It is losing its tourist appeal and making less money.

5. What did Kyle and Lyle use to get rid of the bubbles in the cave? a) Industrial soap. b) Water. c) A jack hammer. d) Their shotguns.

6. What drove everyone out of the Sacred Miracle Cave? a) The stink of the bubbles bursting. b) The acidic waste. c) The animal droppings. d) The bats that fly around the cave.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 14

1. Where does Kilgore see the coal mining landscape? a) West Virginia. b) Maine. c) New Jersey. d) Tennessee.

2. What do the driver and Kilgore talk about as they travel through the mining town? a) The destruction the coal mines are causing. b) How competitive the coal mining industry is. c) The advancements their generation has made. d) Local practice of snake handling.

3. Who founded the coal mining in the place Kilgore drives through? a) Fred Barry's family. b) Dwayne's grandfather. c) Kilgore's great uncle. d) Eliot's ancestors. 4. What is the bad novel the driver tells Kilgore about? a) An artist that cuts off his ear and loses his artistic talent. b) A roulette that determines good art. c) An artist that imagines painting, but does not paint. d) An art movement that focuses on the mundane.

5. What does Kilgore discover as the driver describes the bad novel? a) He has read the novel as well. b) It is his favorite novel. c) It is one of his novels. d) He knows the author who wrote it.

6. What does Kilgore decide after the driver tells him about the bad novel he has read? a) To change his name. b) To tell the man he wrote the book. c) To remain anonymous. d) To make more copies of the book to sell.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 15

1. What disorder does Dwayne develop as he teeters on the edge of sanity? a) Tourette's. b) Dementia. c) Amnesia. d) Echolalia.

2. Who is the 17-year-old waitress that serves Dwayne his hamburger? a) Francine Pefko. b) Phoebe Hurty. c) His niece. d) Patty Keene.

3. What does the 17-year-old waitress see Dwayne as? a) A deadbeat. b) Love of her life. c) Unattractive and unfaithful. d) A solution to her financial problems.

4. What does Dwayne do when he gets back to the car dealership? a) He talks to Harry. b) He looks at pornography. c) He tries to find a cure for his disorder. d) He calls the waitress. 5. Where do Francine and Dwayne meet after he calls her? a) A motel. b) Dwayne's house. c) The Holiday Inn. d) A restaurant.

6. What do Harry and his wife, Grace, decide to do after he arrives home from work? a) Convince Dwayne to make Harry the manager. b) Liquidate their stocks and move to Maui. c) Take money from Dwayne and run away. d) Divorce and go their separate ways.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 16

1. What direction is Kilgore traveling in at the beginning of Chapter 16? a) South. b) West. c) North. d) East.

2. What is Kilgore reading as he travels in Chapter 16? a) Midland City Magazine. b) This Is The Time. c) Now It Can Be Told. d) A pornographic magazine.

3. What is the book that Kilgore skims through during the drive about? a) The meaning of life from different religious viewpoints. b) How people in the future continually try to regain the past. c) A letter from the creator of the universe to the reader. d) What is going to happen ten years from now.

4. What does the literature Kilgore is reading say about free will? a) It is not what we think it is. b) It is in everyone. c) Only the reader has it. d) Only the creator possesses it.

5. What can the reader do, according to the literature Kilgore is reading? a) Anything at anytime. b) Discover free will. c) Nothing. The reader is a slave. d) What the creator deems necessary. 6. What does the literature Kilgore is reading say about the reader's behavior? a) It is irrational and illogical. b) It can mystify the creator of the universe. c) It is slowly chipping away at the human race. d) It is exactly what the creator of the universe wants.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 17

1. Who is Bunny Hoover? a) Dwayne's biological brother. b) Dwayne's cousin. c) Dwayne's mother. d) Dwayne's son.

2. What does Bunny do for a living? a) Police officer. b) Construction. c) Pianist. d) Teacher.

3. What happens to Bunny while he is playing piano? a) He goes into a trance. b) He thinks about other songs to play. c) He becomes giddy. d) He gets into a good mood.

4. What did Bunny tell Dwayne when he was ten years-old? a) He wanted to be like his dad. b) He hated the piano. c) He wanted to be a woman. d) He thought he was adopted.

5. How did Dwayne respond to what Bunny said at ten years-old? a) He sent him to a psychiatrist. b) He sent him to live with relatives. c) He grounded him. d) He sent him to military school.

6. What does The Narrator say about his own mother and Bunny's mother, Celia? a) They did not understand their sons. b) They were close friends. c) They both left their families. d) They were both mentally unstable. Multiple Choice - Chapter 18

1. Who is playing music while Dwayne is in the hotel at the beginning of Chapter 18? a) Bunny. b) Kilgore. c) The Narrator. d) Francine.

2. What does Francine do with her day after Dwayne leaves the motel? a) Looks for Dwayne. b) Quits her job. c) Catches up on work. d) Leaves work early.

3. Who sits in the hotel lounge with Dwayne and Bunny, after Dwayne arrives and has a martini? a) Francine. b) The Narrator. c) Kilgore. d) Eliot.

4. Who is wearing mirrored sunglasses in the hotel lounge? a) Francine. b) Dwayne. c) Kilgore. d) The Narrator.

5. What does Kilgore do when he is stuck in traffic on the way to Midland City? a) Gets out and walks. b) Honks the horn. c) Tells the driver to make a u-turn. d) Calls home to check his messages.

6. What does Kilgore see that caused the traffic jam he was stuck in? a) Fatal car crash. b) A dead cow. c) Road work. d) A car hijacking.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 19

1. Who invites Wayne into the hotel after noticing that he is loitering? a) Dwayne. b) The cook. c) The Narrator. d) The receptionist.

2. What is Wayne instructed to do once he comes inside the hotel and eats a steak? a) To fill out a server application. b) To look through a peephole. c) To leave once he is done eating. d) To help wash the dishes.

3. What has Rabo just sold to Midland City? a) His portfolio of drawings. b) An over-priced painting. c) His art gallery. d) A new space for an exhibition.

4. Who is Beatrice Keedlser? a) A museum curator. b) A writer of children's books. c) A novelist. d) A painter.

5. What does Bonnie MacMahon, a waitress, say whenever she serves a patron a martini? a) "Happy hour!" b) "Breakfast of champions!" c) "Goodbye blue Monday!" d) "Now it can be told!"

6. What does The Narrator state is the surprising spiritual climax of the novel? a) The scene The Narrator has created. b) What Bonnie says when she serves a martini. c) Beatrice's comment about Midland City not having notable events. d) Rabo's speech defending his painting.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 20

1. What does Kilgore wade through at the beginning of Chapter 20? a) The Hudson River. b) A polluted stream. c) The Midland City River. d) Someone's backyard pool.

2. What does Kilgore notice about what he is wading through? a) It is coming from his house. b) It is the result of the Midland City power plant. c) It is also flowing to the Sacred Miracle Cave. d) It coming from an all natural spring.

3. Where does Kilgore walk to after leaving the car and wading through the water? a) Home. b) The arts festival. c) The hotel lounge. d) The burger restaurant.

4. Who recognizes Kilgore when he arrives at his destination in Midland City? a) Beatrice. b) Dwayne. c) The bellhop. d) The desk clerk.

5. What is Kilgore devastated about after being recognized at the hotel? a) No one else has recognized him. b) He is not anonymous. c) He does not want to be a writer anymore. d) He is recognized for the wrong thing.

6. What does the person who recognizes Kilgore at the hotel claim he has returned from? a) Existentialism. b) Poverty. c) A negative life. d) New York City.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 21

1. In chapter 21, who surrounds Rabo at the piano in the hotel lounge? a) His family and friends. b) Syncophants. c) Conductors. d) A string quartet.

2. What did Rabo tell the people surrounding him at the piano to make them adore him? a) How much he practices. b) A story about his first audition. c) An explanation of his art. d) That he is self-taught.

3. What does Wayne do after watching the patrons through the peephole? a) Asks Rabo if he could play the piano. b) Goes outside. c) Walks over to join in the conversation. d) Continues eating.

4. Who does Kilgore realize is watching him in the hotel lounge? a) Dwayne. b) Wayne. c) The Narrator. d) Bunny.

5. What happens to Dwayne as he remains in the hotel lounge and more central characters arrive? a) He picks a fight with Kilgore. b) He sinks deeper into confusion. c) He has an outburst. d) He starts to cry.

6. What has Kilgore often imagined that he remembers when he sees The Narrator in the lounge? a) That he is a character in someone's novel. b) That whatever Kilgore writes comes true. c) That he is the same person as The Narrator. d) That The Narrator is a character from one of Kilgore's stories.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 22

1. What does The Narrator decide to do about the novel at the beginning of Chapter 22? a) Speed up the pace. b) Create a new character. c) Get rid of a character. d) Start from the beginning.

2. After The Narrator decides to do something new with the novel, how does he accomplish this objective? a) By changing the tense. b) By adding more examinations. c) By eliminating irrelevant details. d) By choosing a new genre.

3. What error does The Narrator note about Kilgore that he should change, but will not because it would be too complicated? a) Francine's character. b) Bunny playing the piano. c) Celia's suicide. d) The trip and its timeline. 4. What does Dwayne ask Kilgore when he finally walks over to his table after The Narrator speeds up the novel's pace? a) That Kilgore deliver a message to him. b) To help him write a story about his life. c) To help him with his problems. d) That Kilgore leave the lounge right away.

5. What does Dwayne take off of Kilgore's table? a) Kilgore's plate of food. b) One of Kilgore's manuscripts. c) The book, Now It Can Be Told. d) Kilgore's drink.

6. What is one of Dwayne's talents that allows him to understand the message Kilgore gives him? a) Acute hearing. b) Speed reading. c) Giving speeches. d) Logical reasoning.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 23

1. What does Dwayne think about himself after reading Kilgore's book? a) Only he can talk to the creator of the universe. b) He has been chosen by a higher power. c) He is destined for greatness. d) It was written specifically to him.

2. After reading Kilgore's book, what does Dwayne believe about everyone else? a) They need to know about the book. b) They are freethinkers as well. c) They are part of the higher power. d) They are pre-programmed.

3. Who is the first victim of Dwayne's psychotic, violent rampage? a) Kilgore. b) Bunny. c) Rabo. d) The Narrator.

4. What does Dwayne do in the lobby after assaulting Bunny and before going outside? a) Turns over the tables. b) Assaults other patrons. c) Kills the desk clerk. d) Smashes plates against the walls. 5. Who does Dwayne find in the parking lot when he leaves the hotel after his rampage? a) The cook. b) Kilgore. c) The Narrator. d) Wayne.

6. When Dwayne has difficulty hitting the person he finds in the hotel parking lot after his rampage, what does he do instead? a) Lectures on race relations and slavery. b) Runs back inside of the hotel. c) Asks the person for a ride home. d) Throws pieces of trash at the person.

Multiple Choice - Chapter 24

1. Where is Eliot Rosewater at the beginning of Chapter 24? a) On a train heading toward Midland City. b) Driving away from Midland City. c) Landing at the local airport. d) Stuck in a traffic jam.

2. What does The Narrator note about Eliot after he has arrived in Midland City? a) He is featured in another of The Narrator's novels. b) He stole the idea of Eliot's character from another novel. c) He is going to delete Eliot's character from the novel. d) He wishes he had not written Eliot into the novel.

3. Who does Dwayne beat when he reaches the car dealership? a) Harry. b) Francine. c) Vernon. d) Kilgore.

4. Who tries to intervene in Dwayne's beating and also gets a finger bitten off? a) The Narrator. b) Vernon. c) Harry. d) Kilgore.

5. Who arrives at the scene of Dwayne's beating as an emergency doctor? a) Harry. b) The Narrator. c) Rabo. d) Cyprian. 6. What happens to Dwayne once the police arrive at the scene of the beating? a) He is strapped down. b) He is injected with a serum. c) He is knocked unconscious. d) He is beaten by the police.

Multiple Choice - Epilogue

1. In the epilogue, what is Kilgore looking for as he wanders around the local hospital? a) Francine. b) Bunny. c) The billing office. d) The operating room.

2. What does Kilgore do when he leaves the hospital? a) Tries to contact Eliot. b) Tries to find Dwayne. c) Looks for the arts festival. d) Fills out a report for the police.

3. What does The Narrator claim to be unaware of in the Epilogue? a) The arts festival's cancellation. b) A vicious dog stalking him. c) What has happened to Kilgore. d) Dwayne's whereabouts.

4. What does The Narrator convince Kilgore of when he meets him face to face? a) That he is not a good writer. b) That he will die soon. c) That he is a freethinker. d) That he is a fictional character.

5. What birthday does The Narrator celebrate at the end of the novel? a) His 60th. b) His 40th. c) His 50th. d) His 30th.

6. How does The Narrator celebrate his birthday at the end of the novel? a) By freeing all of his characters. b) By celebrating with the characters. c) By writing a new novel. d) By burning the novel. Multiple Choice Answer Key

Preface Chapter 1 Chapter 2

1. a. 1. b. 1. b.

2. c. 2. a. 2. a.

3. b. 3. b. 3. a.

4. c. 4. c. 4. c.

5. a. 5. d. 5. b.

6. c. 6. b. 6. b.

7. c. 7. b. 7. b.

8. c. 8. d. 8. c.

9. b. 9. b. 9. d.

10. b. 10. d. 10. c.

11. c. 11. a. 11. b.

12. c. 12. b. 12. c.

Chapter 3

1. a. 2. c. Chapter 4 Chapter 5 3. b.

4. c. 1. d. 1. d.

5. d. 2. d. 2. d.

6. c. 3. d. 3. d.

7. c. 4. d. 4. d.

8. d. 5. b. 5. a.

9. c. 6. b. 6. c.

10. d.

11. b.

12. b.

Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

1. d. 1. d. 1. b.

2. a. 2. c. 2. d.

3. b. 3. b. 3. d.

4. c. 4. b. 4. c.

5. d. 5. c. 5. d.

6. c. 6. c. 6. d.

Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 1. a. 1. d. 1. b.

2. c. 2. a. 2. d.

3. a. 3. a. 3. c.

4. b. 4. a. 4. b.

5. c. 5. a. 5. d.

6. d. 6. b. 6. a.

Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14

1. a. 1. d. 1. a.

2. b. 2. d. 2. d.

3. b. 3. c. 3. d.

4. c. 4. c. 4. b.

5. d. 5. d. 5. c.

6. d. 6. a. 6. c.

Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17

1. d. 1. b. 1. d.

2. d. 2. c. 2. c.

3. d. 3. c. 3. a.

4. b. 4. c. 4. c.

5. a. 5. a. 5. d.

6. b. 6. b. 6. d.

Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20

1. a. 1. b. 1. b.

2. c. 2. b. 2. c.

3. b. 3. b. 3. c.

4. d. 4. c. 4. d.

5. a. 5. b. 5. b.

6. a. 6. d. 6. c.

Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23

1. b. 1. a. 1. d.

2. c. 2. c. 2. d.

3. b. 3. d. 3. b.

4. c. 4. a. 4. b.

5. b. 5. c. 5. d.

6. a. 6. b. 6. a.

Chapter 24 Epilogue 1. c. 1. c.

2. a. 2. c.

3. b. 3. b.

4. d. 4. d.

5. d. 5. c.

6. a. 6. a.

This complete Multiple Choice Answer Key contains 208 words. This Lesson Plan contains 36,522 words (approx. 122 pages at 300 words per page) . Breakfast of Champions fun questions

Short Answer Questions - Preface

1. Who influenced The Narrator in his earlier life?

Phoebe Hurty (2)

2. What was The Narrator aware of and disturbed by as a young adolescent? disease (3)

8. What does Dwayne Hoover do for a living?

A Pontiac Dealer (4)

3. Who does The Narrator feel the novel was written by?

Philboyd Studge (4)

4. What does The Narrator claim the book to be in terms of himself?

A birthday present (4) Short Answer Questions - Chapter 1

5. What does Kilgore learn in school about the discovery of America?

It was established by weapons and slavery (10)

1. Who is undergoing a mental collapse at the beginning of the book?

Dwayne Hoover (13)

10. What is Dwayne's medical condition mentioned in Chapter 1?

Going insane (13)

9. What is Dwayne described as in terms of his wealth?

Fabulously-well-to-do (13)

6. What social status is Kilgore categorized as?

He was poor (13) he owned doodly-squat

7. What does Kilgore think about Americans?

Greedy (13)

11. What does The Narrator foreshadow about Dwayne and Kilgore? Dwayne would read Kilgore¶s book (14)

3. What does Dwayne believe about himself after reading Kilgore's novel? He has free will (14)

4. What does Dwayne believe about everyone else after reading Kilgore's novel?

They are robots (14) 12. What does The Narrator foreshadow Kilgore convincing Dwayne about?

Dwayne is the only thinking person on the planet (14)

2. Who does Dwayne believe the insight he gains f rom reading Kilgore's novel is f rom?

Creator of the Universe (15)

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 2

1. What is Dwayne's relationship status?

A widower (17)

2. What kind of dog does Dwayne have? Labrador Retriever (17)

3. What is the name of Dwayne's dog?

Sparky (17)

1. Where does Kilgore live?

Cohoes, NY (20)

2. How does Kilgore make his living? Installing windows (20)

4. Where can Kilgore's manuscripts typically be found?

Pornography (20)

4. What is the name of the house servant that Dwayne employs?

5. What kind of pet does Kilgore have?

6. What is the name of Kilgore's pet?

7. What does Kilgore believe about mirrors?

8. What does Kilgore refer to mirrors as?

9. How old is Kilgore in Chapter 2?

10. What is the title of one of Kilkgore's science fiction novels?

11. What does Kilgore's novel tell the story of?

12. Where was Kilgore's novel published?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 3 1. Who does Kilgore receive a fan letter f rom, that praises his work Plague On Wheels?

2. What book of Kilgore's does his fan praise in the letter?

3. Why does Kilgore believe the fan letter was written by a child?

4. Who does Kilgore receive a letter f rom in Chapter 3, asking him to speak at an arts festival?

5. Where is Kilgore invited to in the letter he receives?

6. What is Kilgore asked to be in the letter he receives?

7. Where is the event Kilgore is asked to visit in Midland City?

8. Who recommended Kilgore for the event he is asked to attend in Chapter 3?

9. How much is the check for that is enclosed in the letter that Kilgore receives?

10. What is the check meant for that Kilgore receives with the letter?

11. Why does Kilgore decide to go to the event in Midland City that he is invited to?

12. What does Kilgore bring with him to Midland City? Short Answer Questions - Chapter 4

1. Who commits suicide at the beginning of Chapter 4?

2. What did Dwayne's biological parents do to him when he was a child?

3. Who is Dwayne's secretary?

4. Who is Dwayne's number one salesman?

5. Who sends Dwayne into a rage with a comment about adoption?

6. Instead of shooting himself, what does Dwayne do in an effort to end his life?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 5

1. Where does Kilgore travel to at the beginning of Chapter 5?

2. What does Kilgore browse through at a book store?

3. Where does Kilgore go to spend the night, because it is cheaper than a hotel?

4. What does Kilgore think about as he watches a movie in Chapter 5?

5. What is the science fiction story that Kilgore comes up with about?

6. What is the plague that infests the planet in the science fiction story Kilgore comes up with? Short Answer Questions - Chapter 6

1. Which family member does Dwayne think about in Chapter 6?

2. Why does Dwayne think about a particular family member in Chapter 6?

3. How did Dwayne's wife die?

4. What is causing Dwayne's continual mental instability?

5. What did the element that Celia ingested do to her?

6. Why is Dwayne's wife dead?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 7

1. What does Kilgore see while in the bathroom stall?

2. What does the writing on the bathroom wall say?

3. What does Kilgore decide after reading what he saw written in the bathroom?

4. What does Kilgore imagine about himself after reading what was written on the bathroom wall?

5. What does Kilgore attempt to do after reading what was written on the bathroom wall? 6. What happens to Kilgore after he leaves the bathroom in Chapter 7?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 8

1. Where does Kilgore walk after he leaves the pornographic theater?

2. Who stops Kilgore as he is walking f rom the pornographic theater?

3. Where does Kilgore wake up after walking the street in Chapter 8?

4. What does Kilgore discover when he wakes up after walking the streets Chapter 8?

5. After going to the New York police station, what do the police assume Kilgore to be?

6. What happens after the newspapers pick up a comment Kilgore makes to the police?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 9

1. What ethnicity is Cyprian Ukwende?

2. What is Cyprian's vocation?

3. Why is Cyprian staying in a hotel?

4. Who owns part of the Holiday Inn? 5. Who also checks into the hotel along with Cyprian?

6. Where does Cyprian work?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 10

1. What does Kilgore do after being released f rom the NYC police station?

2. What does Kilgore and the person he catches a ride with talk about?

3. Where do Kilgore and the person he hitchhiked a ride with drive through first after Kilgore gets in?

4. In Chapter 10, what is Kilgore's contrary position to the driver's conversation?

5. Later in the day after Kilgore gets a ride, what does Kilgore call the person he watches eating in the diner?

6. What does Kilgore do for the rest of the drive after he and the driver leave the diner?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 11

1. Where does Dwayne eat breakfast at the beginning of Chapter 11?

2. Who sits near Dwayne during breakfast?

3. What happens to Dwayne when he leaves the hotel? 4. Why does Wayne Hoobler accost Dwayne at the car dealership?

5. What is going on at the car dealership the day Wayne accosts Dwayne?

6. Why does Dwayne ignore Harry after Harry approaches him at the car dealership?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 12

1. Where do Kilgore and the driver arrive at the beginning of Chapter 12?

2. What is the day on which Kilgore and the driver arrive at the city in Chapter 12?

3. What does Kilgore muse about after arriving in the city in Chapter 12?

4. What is one of the things Kilgore and the driver talk about as they travel through the city?

5. How many times does Kilgore tell the driver he has been married?

6. What does Kilgore tell the driver about his now-adult son?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 13

1. What is Harry wearing at the car dealership in Chapter 13? 2. What does Harry infer about Dwayne's ignoring him at the car dealership?

3. Who are Kyle and Lyle?

4. What do Kyle and Lyle say is happening at the Sacred Miracle Cave?

5. What did Kyle and Lyle use to get rid of the bubbles in the cave?

6. What drove everyone out of the Sacred Miracle Cave?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 14

1. Where does Kilgore see the coal mining landscape?

2. What do the driver and Kilgore talk about as they travel through the mining town?

3. Who founded the coal mining in the place Kilgore drives through?

4. What is the bad novel the driver tells Kilgore about?

5. What does Kilgore discover as the driver describes the bad novel?

6. What does Kilgore decide after the driver tells him about the bad novel he has read?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 15 1. What disorder does Dwayne develop as he teeters on the edge of sanity?

2. Who is the 17-year-old waitress that serves Dwayne his hamburger?

3. What does the 17-year-old waitress see Dwayne as?

4. What does Dwayne do when he gets back to the car dealership?

5. Where do Francine and Dwayne meet after he calls her?

6. What do Harry and his wife, Grace, decide to do after he arrives home f rom work?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 16

1. What direction is Kilgore traveling in at the beginning of Chapter 16?

2. What is Kilgore reading as he travels in Chapter 16?

3. What is the book that Kilgore skims through during the drive about?

4. What does the literature Kilgore is reading say about f ree will?

5. What can the reader do, according to the literature Kilgore is reading?

6. What does the literature Kilgore is reading say about the reader's behavior? Short Answer Questions - Chapter 17

1. Who is Bunny Hoover?

2. What does Bunny do for a living?

3. What happens to Bunny while he is playing piano?

4. What did Bunny tell Dwayne when he was ten years-old?

5. How did Dwayne respond to what Bunny said at ten years-old?

6. What does The Narrator say about his own mother and Bunny's mother, Celia?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 18

1. Who is playing music while Dwayne is in the hotel at the beginning of Chapter 18?

2. What does Francine do with her day after Dwayne leaves the motel?

3. Who sits in the hotel lounge with Dwayne and Bunny, after Dwayne arrives and has a martini?

4. Who is wearing mirrored sunglasses in the hotel lounge?

5. What does Kilgore do when he is stuck in traffic on the way to Midland City? 6. What does Kilgore see that caused the traffic jam he was stuck in?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 19

1. Who invites Wayne into the hotel after noticing that he is loitering?

2. What is Wayne instructed to do once he comes inside the hotel and eats a steak?

3. What has Rabo just sold to Midland City?

4. Who is Beatrice Keedlser?

5. What does Bonnie MacMahon, a waitress, say whenever she serves a patron a martini?

6. What does The Narrator state is the surprising spiritual climax of the novel?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 20

1. What does Kilgore wade through at the beginning of Chapter 20?

2. What does Kilgore notice about what he is wading through?

3. Where does Kilgore walk to after leaving the car and wading through the water?

4. Who recognizes Kilgore when he arrives at his destination in Midland City? 5. What is Kilgore devastated about after being recognized at the hotel?

6. What does the person who recognizes Kilgore at the hotel claim he has returned f rom?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 21

1. In chapter 21, who surrounds Rabo at the piano in the hotel lounge?

2. What did Rabo tell the people surrounding him at the piano to make them adore him?

3. What does Wayne do after watching the patrons through the peephole?

4. Who does Kilgore realize is watching him in the hotel lounge?

5. What happens to Dwayne as he remains in the hotel lounge and more central characters arrive?

6. What has Kilgore often imagined that he remembers when he sees The Narrator in the lounge?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 22

1. What does The Narrator decide to do about the novel at the beginning of Chapter 22?

2. After The Narrator decides to do something new with the novel, how does he accomplish this objective? 3. What error does The Narrator note about Kilgore that he should change, but will not because it would be too complicated?

4. What does Dwayne ask Kilgore when he finally walks over to his table after The Narrator speeds up the novel's pace?

5. What does Dwayne take off of Kilgore's table?

6. What is one of Dwayne's talents that allows him to understand the message Kilgore gives him?

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 23

1. What does Dwayne think about himself after reading Kilgore's book?

2. After reading Kilgore's book, what does Dwayne believe about everyone else?

3. Who is the first victim of Dwayne's psychotic, violent rampage?

4. What does Dwayne do in the lobby after assaulting Bunny and before going outside?

5. Who does Dwayne find in the parking lot when he leaves the hotel after his rampage?

6. When Dwayne has difficulty hitting the person he finds in the hotel parking lot after his rampage, what does he do instead? Short Answer Questions - Chapter 24

1. Where is Eliot Rosewater at the beginning of Chapter 24?

2. What does The Narrator note about Eliot after he has arrived in Midland City?

3. Who does Dwayne beat when he reaches the car dealership?

4. Who tries to intervene in Dwayne's beating and also gets a finge r bitten off?

5. Who arrives at the scene of Dwayne's beating as an eme rgency doctor?

6. What happens to Dwayne once the police arrive at the scene of the beating?

Short Answer Questions - Epilogue

1. In the epilogue, what is Kilgore looking for as he wanders around the local hospital?

2. What does Kilgore do when he leaves the hospital?

3. What does The Narrator claim to be unaware of in the Epilogue?

4. What does The Narrator convince Kilgore of when he meets him face to face?

5. What birthday does The Narrator celebrate at the end of the novel? 6. How does The Narrator celebrate his birthday at the end of the novel?

Short Answer Key Preface

1. What event is Kilgore invited to attend in Midland City?

Local arts festival. 2. What is Kilgore invited to do at the event in Midland City?

Deliver the keynote address.

3. Who is undergoing a mental collapse at the beginning of the book?

Dw ayne Hoover.

4. What does Dwayne demand f rom Kilgore when he first meets him?

A message.

5. Who does Dwayne believe the insight he gains f rom reading Kilgore's novel is f rom?

C reator of the Universe.

6. What does Dwayne believe about himself after reading Kilgore's novel?

He is the only individual w ith free w ill.

7. What does Dwayne believe about everyone else after reading Kilgore's novel?

T hey are robots.

8. What does Dwayne do following his reading of Kilgore's novel?

G oes on a violent rampage.

9. Who influenced The Narrator in his earlier life?

P hoebe Hurty.

10. What was The Narrator aware of and disturbed by as a young adolescent?

Diseases.

11. Who does The Narrator feel the novel was written by?

P hilboyd Studge.

12. What does The Narrator claim the book to be in terms of himself?

His birthday present.

Chapter 1

1. Where does Kilgore live?

C ohoes, N.Y.

2. How does Kilgore make his living? I nstalls aluminum w indow frames.

3. What genre does Kilgore prefer to write?

Science fiction.

4. Where can Kilgore's manuscripts typically be found?

P ornographic magazines.

5. What does Kilgore learn in school about the discovery of America?

I t w as established by w eaponery and slavery.

6. What social status is Kilgore categorized as?

P oor.

7. What does Kilgore think about Americans?

T hey are greedy.

8. What does Dwayne Hoover do for a living?

C ar salesman.

9. What is Dwayne described as in terms of his wealth?

Self-made man.

10. What is Dwayne's medical condition mentioned in Chapter 1?

C hemically imbalanced.

11. What does The Narrator foreshadow about Dwayne and Kilgore?

Dw ayne w ill read Kilgore's book.

12. What does The Narrator foreshadow Kilgore convincing Dwayne about?

Dw ayne is the only thinking person on the planet.

Chapter 2

1. What is Dwayne's relationship status?

W idow er.

2. What kind of dog does Dwayne have?

Labrador.

3. What is the name of Dwayne's dog?

Sparky. 4. What is the name of the house servant that Dwayne employs?

Lottie Davis.

5. What kind of pet does Kilgore have?

P arakeet.

6. What is the name of Kilgore's pet?

Bill.

7. What does Kilgore believe about mirrors?

T hey are thin spots bet w een alternate realities.

8. What does Kilgore refer to mirrors as?

Leaks.

9. How old is Kilgore in Chapter 2?

Sixty-five.

10. What is the title of one of Kilkgore's science fiction novels?

P lague on W heels.

11. What does Kilgore's novel tell the story of?

Society of living automobiles.

12. Where was Kilgore's novel published?

I n a book of pornography.

Chapter 3

1. Who does Kilgore receive a fan letter f rom, that praises his work Plague On Wheels?

E liot Rosew ater.

2. What book of Kilgore's does his fan praise in the letter?

P lague on W heels.

3. Why does Kilgore believe the fan letter was written by a child?

He cannot read the hand w riting.

4. Who does Kilgore receive a letter f rom in Chapter 3, asking him to speak at an arts festival?

F red T . Barry. 5. Where is Kilgore invited to in the letter he receives?

An arts festival.

6. What is Kilgore asked to be in the letter he receives?

Keynote speaker.

7. Where is the event Kilgore is asked to visit in Midland City?

ildred Barry Memorial C enter for the Arts.

8. Who recommended Kilgore for the event he is asked to attend in Chapter 3?

E liot Rosew ater.

9. How much is the check for that is enclosed in the letter that Kilgore receives?

One thousand dollars.

10. What is the check meant for that Kilgore receives with the letter?

T ravel expenses.

11. Why does Kilgore decide to go to the event in Midland City that he is invited to?

T o represent the dark side of the arts.

12. What does Kilgore bring with him to Midland City?

A moldy tuxedo.

Chapter 4

1. Who commits suicide at the beginning of Chapter 4?

Dw ayne's w ife.

2. What did Dwayne's biological parents do to him when he was a child?

Abandoned him.

3. Who is Dwayne's secretary?

F rancine P efko.

4. Who is Dwayne's number one salesman?

Harry LeSabre.

5. Who sends Dwayne into a rage with a comment about adoption? V ernon G arr.

6. Instead of shooting himself, what does Dwayne do in an effort to end his life?

C rashes his car.

Chapter 5

1. Where does Kilgore travel to at the beginning of Chapter 5?

New York C ity.

2. What does Kilgore browse through at a book store?

P ornographic books.

3. Where does Kilgore go to spend the night, because it is cheaper than a hotel?

A pornographic theatre.

4. What does Kilgore think about as he watches a movie in Chapter 5?

His speech.

5. What is the science fiction story that Kilgore comes up with about?

F ood that is coal-based derivatives.

6. What is the plague that infests the planet in the science fiction story Kilgore comes up with?

P lague of pornography.

Chapter 6

1. Which family member does Dwayne think about in Chapter 6?

His w ife.

2. Why does Dwayne think about a particular family member in Chapter 6?

T he person is dead.

3. How did Dwayne's wife die?

By ingesting a pow erful solvent.

4. What is causing Dwayne's continual mental instability?

A chemical imbalance.

5. What did the element that Celia ingested do to her? DDissolved her insides.

6. Whhy is Dwayne's wife dead?

She killed herself.

Chapter 7

1. Whhat does Kilgorre see whhile in thhe bathhrroom stall?

A A question w w ritten on the w w all.

2. Whhat does thhe wrriting on thhe bathhrroom wall say?

I I t asks about the meaning of life.

3. Whhat does Kilgorre decide afterr rreading whhatat hhe saw wrritten in thhee bathhrroom?

T T o act as the eyes, ears and conscious of the creator.

4. Whhat does Kilgorre imagine about hhimself afterr rreading whhat was wwrritten on thhe bathhrroom wall?

He is experiencing important things.

5. Whhat does Kilgorre attempt to do afterr rreading whhat was wrritten on tthhe bathhrroom wall?

BBeam his thoughts to the creator.

6. Whhatat hhappens to Kilgorre afterr hhe leaves thhe bathhrroom in Chapterr 7?

He is asked to leave because the theatre is closing.

Chapter 8

1. Whheerre does Kilgorre walk afterr hhe leaves thhe porrnogrraphhic thheaterr??

42nd Street.

2. Whho stops Kilgorre as hhe is walking f rrom thhe porrnogrraphhic thheaterr??

A A prostitute.

3. Whheerre does Kilgorre wake up afterr walking thhe strreet in Chapterr 8?

A An alley w w ay.

4. Whhat does Kilgorre discoverr wwhhen hhe wakes up afterr walking thhee ststrreets Chapterr 8?

He has been robbed, raped and beat up. 5. Afterr going to thhe New Yorrk police station, whhat do thhe police assume Kilgorre to be?

A A vagrant.

6. Whhatat hhappens afterr tthhe newspaperrs pick up a comment Kilgorree makes to thhe police?

NY C C citizens think there is a new w crime w w ave.

Chapter 9

1. Whhat ethhnicity is CCyprrian Ukwende?

I I ndaro.

2. Whhat is CCyprrian's vocation?

P P hysician.

3. Whhy is CCyprrian staying in a hhotel?

He is new w ly employed and has not found a home.

4. Whho owns parrt of thhe Holiday Inn?

Dw ayne.

5. Whho also chhecks into thhee hhotel along withh CCyprrian?

Dw ayne.

6. Whheerre does CCyprrian worrk?

A A local hospital.

Chapter 10

1. Whhat does Kilgorre do afterr being rreleased f rrom thhe NYCC police station?

C C atches a ride on a commercial truck.

2. Whhat does Kilgorre and thhe perrson hhe catchhes a rride withh talk about?

C C onservation of natural resources.

3. Whheerre do Kilgorre and thhe perrson hhee hhitchhiked a rride withh ddrrive tthhrroughh fifirrst afterr Kilgorre gets in?

P P oisoned sw w amps of N.J.

4. In Chapterr 10, whhat is Kilgorre's contrraarry position to thhe drriverr's's converrsation? G G od creates natural disasters even if conservation occurs.

5. Laterr in thhe day afterr Kilgorre gets a rride, whhat does Kilgorre call thhee perrson hhe watchhes eating in thhe dinerr??

A An idiot.

6. Whhat does Kilgorre do forr tthhee rrest of thhe drrive afterr hhe and thhe drriverr leave thhe dinerr??

Reads signs on trucks.

Chapter 11

1. Whheerre does Dwayne eat brreakfast at thhe beginning of Chapterr 11?

A A hotel.

2. Whho sits nearr Dwayne durring brreakfast?

C C yprian.

3. Whhatat hhappens to Dwayne whhen hhe leaves thhee hhotel?

He resumes his unstable behavior.

4. Whhy does Wayne Hooblerr accost Dwayne at thhe carr dealerrsshhip?

Dw ayne w w ill not give him a job.

5. Whhat is going on at thhe carr dealerrsshhip thhe day Wayne accosts Dwayne?

Haw w aiian DDays promotion.

6. Whhy does Dwayne ignorre Harrrry afterr Harrrry apprroachhes hhim at thhee carr dealerrsshhip?

Dw ayne thinks he is hallucinating Harry.

Chapter 12

1. Whheerre do Kilgorre and thhe drriverr aarrrrive at thhe beginning of Chapterr 12?

P P hiladelphia.

2. Whhat is thhe day on whhicichh Kilgorre and thhe drriverr aarrrrive at thhe city in Chapterr 12?

DDay after V V eteran's DDay.

3. Whhat does Kilgorre muse about afterr aarrrriving in thhe city in Chapterr 12? How the w orld is how it should be.

4. What is one of the things Kilgore and the driver talk about as they travel through the city?

Aluminum siding.

5. How many times does Kilgore tell the driver he has been married?

T hree times.

6. What does Kilgore tell the driver about his now-adult son?

He does not know w here he is.

Chapter 13

1. What is Harry wearing at the car dealership in Chapter 13?

A Haw aiian costume.

2. What does Harry infer about Dwayne's ignoring him at the car dealership?

T hat Dw ayne know s Harry is a transvestite.

3. Who are Kyle and Lyle?

Dw ayne's t w in brothers.

4. What do Kyle and Lyle say is happening at the Sacred Miracle Cave?

I t is filling up w ith industrial w aste.

5. What did Kyle and Lyle use to get rid of the bubbles in the cave?

T heir shotguns.

6. What drove everyone out of the Sacred Miracle Cave?

T he stink of the bubbles bursting.

Chapter 14

1. Where does Kilgore see the coal mining landscape?

W est V irginia.

2. What do the driver and Kilgore talk about as they travel through the mining town?

Local practice of snake handling.

3. Who founded the coal mining in the place Kilgore drives through? E liot's ancestors.

4. What is the bad novel the driver tells Kilgore about?

A roulette that determines good art.

5. What does Kilgore discover as the driver describes the bad novel?

I t is one of his novels.

6. What does Kilgore decide after the driver tells him about the bad novel he has read?

T o remain anonymous.

Chapter 15

1. What disorder does Dwayne develop as he teeters on the edge of sanity?

E cholalia.

2. Who is the 17-year-old waitress that serves Dwayne his hamburger?

P atty Keene.

3. What does the 17-year-old waitress see Dwayne as?

A solution to her financial problems.

4. What does Dwayne do when he gets back to the car dealership?

He looks at pornography.

5. Where do Francine and Dwayne meet after he calls her?

A motel.

6. What do Harry and his wife, Grace, decide to do after he arrives home f rom work?

Liquidate their stocks and move to Maui.

Chapter 16

1. What direction is Kilgore traveling in at the beginning of Chapter 16?

W est.

2. What is Kilgore reading as he travels in Chapter 16?

Now I t C an Be T old.

3. What is the book that Kilgore skims through during the drive about? A letter from the creator of the universe to the reader.

4. What does the literature Kilgore is reading say about f ree will?

Only the reader has it.

5. What can the reader do, according to the literature Kilgore is reading?

Anything at anytime.

6. What does the literature Kilgore is reading say about the reader's behavior?

I t can mystify the creator of the universe.

Chapter 17

1. Who is Bunny Hoover?

Dw ayne's son.

2. What does Bunny do for a living?

P ianist.

3. What happens to Bunny while he is playing piano?

He goes into a trance.

4. What did Bunny tell Dwayne when he was ten years-old?

He w anted to be a w oman.

5. How did Dwayne respond to what Bunny said at ten years-old?

He sent him to military school.

6. What does The Narrator say about his own mother and Bunny's mother, Celia?

T hey w ere both mentally unstable.

Chapter 18

1. Who is playing music while Dwayne is in the hotel at the beginning of Chapter 18?

Bunny.

2. What does Francine do with her day after Dwayne leaves the motel?

C atches up on w ork. 3. Who sits in the hotel lounge with Dwayne and Bunny, after Dwayne arrives and has a martini?

T he Narrator.

4. Who is wearing mirrored sunglasses in the hotel lounge?

T he Narrator.

5. What does Kilgore do when he is stuck in traffic on the way to Midland City?

G ets out and w alks.

6. What does Kilgore see that caused the traffic jam he was stuck in?

F atal car crash.

Chapter 19

1. Who invites Wayne into the hotel after noticing that he is loitering?

T he cook.

2. What is Wayne instructed to do once he comes inside the hotel and eats a steak?

T o look through a peephole.

3. What has Rabo just sold to Midland City?

An over-priced painting.

4. Who is Beatrice Keedlser?

A novelist.

5. What does Bonnie MacMahon, a waitress, say whenever she serves a patron a martini?

" Breakfast of champions!"

6. What does The Narrator state is the surprising spiritual climax of the novel?

Rabo's speech defending his painting.

Chapter 20

1. What does Kilgore wade through at the beginning of Chapter 20?

A polluted stream.

2. What does Kilgore notice about what he is wading through? I t is also flow ing to the Sacred Miracle C ave.

3. Where does Kilgore walk to after leaving the car and wading through the water?

T he hotel lounge.

4. Who recognizes Kilgore when he arrives at his destination in Midland City?

T he desk clerk.

5. What is Kilgore devastated about after being recognized at the hotel?

He is not anonymous.

6. What does the person who recognizes Kilgore at the hotel claim he has returned f rom?

A negative life.

Chapter 21

1. In chapter 21, who surrounds Rabo at the piano in the hotel lounge?

Syncophants.

2. What did Rabo tell the people surrounding him at the piano to make them adore him?

An explanation of his art.

3. What does Wayne do after watching the patrons through the peephole?

G oes outside.

4. Who does Kilgore realize is watching him in the hotel lounge?

T he Narrator.

5. What happens to Dwayne as he remains in the hotel lounge and more central characters arrive?

He sinks deeper into confusion.

6. What has Kilgore often imagined that he remembers when he sees The Narrator in the lounge?

T hat he is a character in someone's novel.

Chapter 22 1. What does The Narrator decide to do about the novel at the beginning of Chapter 22?

Speed up the pace.

2. After The Narrator decides to do something new with the novel, how does he accomplish this objective?

By eliminating irrelevant details.

3. What error does The Narrator note about Kilgore that he should change, but will not because it would be too complicated?

T he trip and its timeline.

4. What does Dwayne ask Kilgore when he finally walks over to his table after The Narrator speeds up the novel's pace?

T hat Kilgore deliver a message to him.

5. What does Dwayne take off of Kilgore's table?

T he book, Now I t C an Be T old.

6. What is one of Dwayne's talents that allows him to understand the message Kilgore gives him?

Speed reading.

Chapter 23

1. What does Dwayne think about himself after reading Kilgore's book?

I t w as w ritten specifically to him.

2. After reading Kilgore's book, what does Dwayne believe about everyone else?

T hey are pre-programmed.

3. Who is the first victim of Dwayne's psychotic, violent rampage?

Bunny.

4. What does Dwayne do in the lobby after assaulting Bunny and before going outside?

Assaults other patrons.

5. Who does Dwayne find in the parking lot when he leaves the hotel after his rampage?

W ayne. 6. When Dwayne has difficulty hitting the person he finds in the hotel parking lot after his rampage, what does he do instead?

Lectures on race relations and slavery.

Chapter 24

1. Where is Eliot Rosewater at the beginning of Chapter 24?

Landing at the local airport.

2. What does The Narrator note about Eliot after he has arrived in Midland City?

He is featured in another of T he Narrator's novels.

3. Who does Dwayne beat when he reaches the car dealership?

F rancine.

4. Who tries to intervene in Dwayne's beating and also gets a finge r bitten off?

Kilgore.

5. Who arrives at the scene of Dwayne's beating as an eme rgency doctor?

C yprian.

6. What happens to Dwayne once the police arrive at the scene of the beating?

He is strapped dow n. Epilogue

1. In the epilogue, what is Kilgore looking for as he wanders around the local hospital?

T he billing office.

2. What does Kilgore do when he leaves the hospital?

Looks for the arts festival.

3. What does The Narrator claim to be unaware of in the Epilogue?

A vicious dog stalking him.

4. What does The Narrator convince Kilgore of when he meets him face to face?

T hat he is a fictional character. 5. What birthday does The Narrator celebrate at the end of the novel?

His 50th.

6. How does The Narrator celebrate his birthday at the end of the novel?

By freeing all of his characters. Short Essay Questions The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it. Breakfast of Champions

Short Essay Question - Preface

1. How is the Preface in Breakfast of Champions presented in terms of genre?

2. What are the events given in the quick presentation of the novel?

3. How does The Narrator's childhood fear of diseases play into the novel?

4. What is the reason for The Narrator saying his name is Philboyd Studge?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 1

5. Who are the two principle characters of the novel and how are they presented in Chapter 1?

6. Why are the majority of Kilgore's writings in pornographic magazines? 7. What do the illustrations in Chapter 1 do for the tone of the chapter?

8. Why does Kilgore think Americans are greedy?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 2

9. How are the relationships between the pets and Kilgore and Dwayne different?

10. What does Kilgore think about mirrors? What does he think they are?

11. What is Kilgore's novel, Plague On Wheels, about?

12. What does the scene between Dwayne and his pet dog, Sparky, infer about Dwayne's character?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 3

13. Who sends Kilgore a fan letter and what is the book that the fan praises? 14. Who asks Kilgore to be a keynote speaker and why?

15. What is Kilgore's reason for accepting the invitation to speak at the arts festival?

16. Why is Kilgore reluctant at first to accept the invitation to speak at the arts festival?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 4

17. Why is Harry LeSabre upset by Dwayne's comment about his outfit looking like that of a mortician?

18. What does Dwayne do in Chapter 4 that alludes to his increasing mental instability?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 5

19. What is the plot of the science fiction novel Kilgore comes up with while watching films at the pornography theatre? 20. What is the irony of Kilgore browsing in the pornography shop in New York?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 6

21. How did Celia, Dwayne's wife, kill herself?

22. What is the difference between Dwayne's personal life and business life?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 7

23. What does the message written on the bathroom wall in the pornography theater say and what is Kilgore's response to it?

24. After pondering the question on the bathroom wall, what is Kilgore lead to think about?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 8

25. What happens to Kilgore after he notices that a car is following him as he walks down 42nd Street?

26. What significance did Kilgore's comment in the police station end up having on the residents of NY? Short Essay Question - Chapter 9

27. Who is Cyprian Ukwende and why is he staying at the Midland City Holiday Inn?

28. Why does Dwayne have to stand in line at his own hotel?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 10

29. In Chapter 10, why does Kilgore have to sit on the floor of the truck he rides in?

30. What is Kilgore's counter argument to the driver's stance on the need for conservation of natural resources?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 11

31. Who is Wayne Hoobler and what does he want at Dwayne's car dealership?

32. Why does Dwayne think he is hallucinating Wayne when he first meets him? Short Essay Question - Chapter 12

33. What is one of the boring topics that Kilgore and the driver talk about when they go through Philadelphia?

34. in Chapter 12, what does the driver recognize as a difference between himself and Kilgore?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 13

35. Why is Harry devastated at the beginning of Chapter 13?

36. What is the conflict that Dwayne might have with his twin brothers, Lyle and Kyle?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 14

37. What do Kilgore and the driver drive by in West Virginia and who was it founded by?

38. What is the book the driver describes having read that Kilgore realizes is one of his own novels about?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 15 39. Why does Patty Keene flirt with Dwayne while she serves him hamburgers?

40. What does Grace, Harry's wife, tell Harry he should do regarding his job at Dwayne's deale rship?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 16

41. What is the book, Now It Can Be Told, that Kilgore reads in the car about?

42. In Now It Can Be Told, what is the main difference between the creator of the universe and the reader?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 17

43. Why did Dwayne send his son, Bunny, to a military school?

44. What does The Narrator make note of in Chapter 17 about his and Bunny's mothers?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 18

45. Why does The Narrator place himself in the hotel lounge scene? 46. What causes Kilgore to get out of the car and start walking toward Midland City and his fateful meeting with Dwayne?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 19

47. What does The Narrator state is the spiritual climax of the novel?

48. How are Wayne and the reader similar to one another in Chapter 19?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 20

49. What is the connection between Dwayne's house and the stream of pollution that Kilgore wades through?

50. In Chapter 20, what does the desk clerk at the hotel say to Kilgore about his work?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 21

51. What does The Narrator say about himself, Kilgore and Dwayne once they are all in the hotel lounge? 52. Why does the sight of The Narrator in the hotel Lobby make Kilgore nervous?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 22

53. When Kilgore and Dwayne finally meet as foretold in Chapter 1, what is the cause of their meeting?

54. What is one of the events in the novel that The Narrator believes he could have done differently?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 23

55. Why does Bunny not fight back when his father, Dwayne, assaults him in the hotel lounge?

56. What does Dwayne do when he fails to punch Wayne outside of the hotel?

Short Essay Question - Chapter 24

57. What does Dwayne do to F rancine on his violent rampage?

58. What is the parallel between Dwayne's irrelevant phrases and the narrative? Short Essay Question - Epilogue

59. What is it that The Narrator claims has been stalking him throughout the book?

60. What does The Narrator convince Kilgore of at the end of the novel? Short Essay Answer Key 1. How is the Preface in Breakfast of Champions presented in terms of genre?

T he P reface is presented as a non-fictional preface, explaining real life facts surrounding the novel. I t is, how ever, part of a fictional novel, and the facts presented help to explain basis for the narrative content.

2. What are the events given in the quick presentation of the novel?

T he P reface introduces Kilgore as a relatively unknow n novelist w ho is asked to be the keynote speaker at an arts festival in Midland C ity. Dw ayne is presented as a w ealthy businessman w ho is going through a mental breakdow n. W hen Kilgore reaches Midland C ity, Dw ayne happens by him and demands a message from Kilgore. Kilgore gives Dw ayne his novel to read, w ho then interprets himself as the only freethinker in the universe. Dw ayne then goes on a violent rampage.

3. How does The Narrator's childhood fear of diseases play into the novel?

T he Narrator's fear of diseases helped to shape his w orld view s of humans being robotic and amorphous.

4. What is the reason for The Narrator saying his name is Philboyd Studge?

T he Narrator feels that the subsequent w ork is not good and, by signing his name as someone else, feels that that w ork cannot be then attributed to him if it is in fact view ed as poor.

5. Who are the two principle characters of the novel and how are they presented in Chapter 1?

Kilgore T rout and Dw ayne Hoover are the t w o principle characters. Kilgore is a relatively unknow n science fiction w riter from C ohoes, NY and Dw ayne is a successful but disturbed businessman in Midland C ity.

6. Why are the majority of Kilgore's writings in pornographic magazines?

Kilgore has a habit of sending submissions w ithout a return envelope, thus publishers cannot contact him if they w ant to use his w ork and it is the only copy he has of his w ork. As a result, his w ork is published as filler material in pornographic magazines.

7. What do the illustrations in Chapter 1 do for the tone of the chapter? T he illustrations are amateur and somew hat childish, thus they create an amusing and sarcastic tone. T hey also set up the rest of the novel as having the same tone.

8. Why does Kilgore think Americans are greedy?

Kilgore makes his living by installing aluminum w indow frames. He does not get the financial attribution for any w ork he submits, because he does not include a return envelope. As a result, Kilgore is quite poor and relies little on material w ealth. He view s Americans as greedy, because he can survive on so little.

9. How are the relationships between the pets and Kilgore and Dwayne different?

Dw ayne has an unusually close bond w ith his pet dog, Sparky. Being a w idow er, he is comforted by the dog and enjoys playing w ith him. Kilgore has a pet parakeet, Bill, w ho is only for protection purposes. I f Kilgore does interact w ith Bill, it is only to complain.

10. What does Kilgore think about mirrors? What does he think they are?

Kilgore refers to mirrors as " leaks." He believes that they are thin spots in bet w een alternate realities.

11. What is Kilgore's novel, Plague On Wheels, about?

P lague On W heels is a science fiction novel about a society of living automobiles w ho poison their atmosphere, thus destroying their ow n environment before it even becomes extinct.

12. What does the scene between Dwayne and his pet dog, Sparky, infer about Dwayne's character?

I n the scene w ith his dog, Dw ayne is rolling around on the floor w ith Sparky w ho is a crippled animal. T he image of this is comical, but also somew hat pathetic and alludes to Dw ayne's eventual descent into mental instability.

13. Who sends Kilgore a fan letter and what is the book that the fan praises?

E liot Rosew ater sends a fan letter to Kilgore. He praises Kilgore's novel, P lague On W heels; how ever due to E liot's bad hand w riting, Kilgore thinks it is w ritten by a child.

14. Who asks Kilgore to be a keynote speaker and why?

F red T . Barry w rites to Kilgore, inviting him to be the keynote speaker at the arts festival in the Mildred Barry Memorial C enter for the Arts. I t w as at E liot's request, as a fan, that Kilgore is invited to the festival. 15. What is Kilgore's reason for accepting the invitation to speak at the arts festival?

Kilgore decides to accept the invitation as keynote speaker because he w ants to represent the dark side of the arts at the festival. He notices on the invitation the t w o theatrical masks - one is laughing and one is crying. Kilgore believes that he w ould be able to represent the crying mask and the failure of the arts.

16. Why is Kilgore reluctant at first to accept the invitation to speak at the arts festival?

Kilgore usually sends publishers the only copy of his manuscripts, not having the original for his ow n. W hen asked to be the keynote speaker, he realizes that he does not have a single piece of his ow n published fiction that he could share at the festival.

17. Why is Harry LeSabre upset by Dwayne's comment about his outfit looking like that of a mortician?

Dw ayne w as upset about Harry's comment on adoption and berates him for his outfit. T his w orries Harry, because he is secretly a transvestite and thinks that Dw ayne know s. Harry does not w ant to be found out and prosecuted.

18. What does Dwayne do in Chapter 4 that alludes to his increasing mental instability?

Dw ayne is at home w hen he contemplates suicide. He has a .38 caliber revolver but, instead of using it on himself, he shoots up the bathroom. Dw ayne then gets into his car and crashes it.

19. What is the plot of the science fiction novel Kilgore comes up with while watching films at the pornography theatre?

Kilgore imagines a society w here coal-based derivatives. P ornography to the people in this society are people w ho eat real food and the society experiences a plague of this pornography w here there are close-ups of people eating real food.

20. What is the irony of Kilgore browsing in the pornography shop in New York?

Kilgore looks through multiple pornography books at a store in NY in order to find some his publications for the arts festival. T he irony of this scene is that Kilgore looks through sexually explicit material that is in no w ay related to the science fiction stories that accompany them in order to find literary merit.

21. How did Celia, Dwayne's wife, kill herself?

C elia ingested a pow erful solvent. T he solvent eventually dissolved her insides. 22. What is the difference between Dwayne's personal life and business life?

On paper, Dw ayne's financial status is quite affluent and he is view ed as a successful business man. How ever, as the narrative progresses the reader learns about Dw ayne's background and his w ife w hich all appears to be deeply troubled.

23. What does the message written on the bathroom wall in the pornography theater say and what is Kilgore's response to it?

T he message w ritten on the bathroom w all asks w hat is the meaning of life. Kilgore ponders this and decides that the meaning of life is to be the eyes, ears and conscious of the creator of the universe.

24. After pondering the question on the bathroom wall, what is Kilgore lead to think about?

Kilgore's answ er to the bathroom question deals w ith the creator. After pondering his answ er, Kilgore actually imagines that he is in direct communication w ith said creator and can beam his thoughts up to this higher pow er.

25. What happens to Kilgore after he notices that a car is following him as he walks down 42nd Street?

Kilgore becomes uneasy w alking the streets of New York and notices someone follow ing him. T he next thing he remembers is w aking up in an alley w ay having been robbed, raped and assaulted. He is picked up by the police w hen they assume him to be a belligerent vagrant.

26. What significance did Kilgore's comment in the police station end up having on the residents of NY?

After Kilgore makes a comment at the police station, a new spaper publishes it, causing a mass hysteria in the city over a violent crime w ave. A gang later reads the remarks, sees people's reactions and decides to make it all true.

27. Who is Cyprian Ukwende and why is he staying at the Midland City Holiday Inn?

C yprian is a black I ndaro physician from Nigeria w ho has been recently employed by the local hospital. He has only just come to Midland C ity and has not found a permanent home yet.

28. Why does Dwayne have to stand in line at his own hotel?

T he desk clerk has just started w orking at the hotel and does not yet know w ho Dw ayne is and that he ow ns the hotel. Dw ayne has decided to stay in the hotel for a change and does not mind w aiting. 29. In Chapter 10, why does Kilgore have to sit on the floor of the truck he rides in?

T he driver instructs Kilgore to remain on the floor until they have left New York, as picking up hitchhikers is illegal and incurs a fine.

30. What is Kilgore's counter argument to the driver's stance on the need for conservation of natural resources?

Kilgore claims that being a conservationist is the same as being atheist. I f one did believe in G od, then one w ould understand that conservation is impossible because of the natural disasters that G od creates.

31. Who is Wayne Hoobler and what does he want at Dwayne's car dealership?

W ayne Hoobler is an ex-convict that spent his time in jail reading advertisements for Dw ayne's car dealership. He believes that since his and Dw ayne's names are so similar, he is destined to w ork there and asks for a job.

32. Why does Dwayne think he is hallucinating Wayne when he first meets him?

Dw ayne listens to W ayne's over-excited vision of w orking at the dealership and thinks he is just imagining W ayne in light of his recent decent into mental instability.

33. What is one of the boring topics that Kilgore and the driver talk about when they go through Philadelphia?

T he driver asks Kilgore his opinion on aluminum siding versus concrete poured to mimic natural stone siding. T heir conversation continues like this, somew hat humorous but extremely dull topics.

34. in Chapter 12, what does the driver recognize as a difference between himself and Kilgore?

T he driver identifies that he, himself, does not have a lot of friends because he is constantly on the move due to his job. He notes that Kilgore must have plenty of friends, because he has remained in one place w ithout much travel.

35. Why is Harry devastated at the beginning of Chapter 13?

I t is Haw aiian Day at the car dealership and Harry has w orn an outlandish shirt. Dw ayne told Harry before that he dresses a mortician, w hich w orried Harry that Dw ayne might know about his being a transvestite. Now , w hen he actually does w ear something flashy, Dw ayne ignores him thus leading Harry to believe more strongly that Dw ayne know s about his secret life. 36. What is the conflict that Dwayne might have with his twin brothers, Lyle and Kyle?

Dw ayne w as adopted by his parents that w ere unable to conceive. F ollow ing the adoption, Dw ayne's parents w ere able to conceive and had identical t w ins. As Dw ayne's mental instability continues, it is clear that he has some sort of conflict w ith his family history.

37. What do Kilgore and the driver drive by in West Virginia and who was it founded by?

W hile driving in W est V irginia, Kilgore and the driver see the countryside destroyed by the coal mining industry. I t turns out that that particular coal mine w as established by E liot Rosew ater's ancestors and is the reason for E liot's affluent life to date.

38. What is the book the driver describes having read that Kilgore realizes is one of his own novels about?

I n the novel the driver read that is actually by Kilgore, a roulette w heel that determines the value of art. T he majority of the art is throw n in the trash, w hile some pieces are considered great and make a lot of money. E ventually the roulette w heel is found out to be rigged.

39. Why does Patty Keene flirt with Dwayne while she serves him hamburgers?

P atty is seventeen-years-old and has an abundance of medical debt due to her father's death by cancer. W hen she sees Dw ayne and his w ealth, she sees him as a solution to her financial problems.

40. What does Grace, Harry's wife, tell Harry he should do regarding his job at Dwayne's deale rship?

W hen G race notices that Harry is having a breakdow n because of Dw ayne's behavior tow ard him, she suggests that he liquidate his stock holdings w ith the company. She then suggests that w ith the money they could move to Maui and retire.

41. What is the book, Now It Can Be Told, that Kilgore reads in the car about?

T he book is mostly a letter from the creator of the universe to the reader. I t states that existence is a deterministic machine and free w ill does not exist.

42. In Now It Can Be Told, what is the main difference between the creator of the universe and the reader? T he reader is the only person in the book's society that has free w ill. E ven the creator of the universe, according to the novel, is a machine and the reader is the only being that can do w hatever he/she desires, at any time, for no reason.

43. Why did Dwayne send his son, Bunny, to a military school?

W hen Bunny w as ten years-old, he told Dw ayne that he w anted to be a w oman. I n response to this, Dw ayne sent Bunny to military school w here he did exceptionally w ell.

44. What does The Narrator make note of in Chapter 17 about his and Bunny's mothers?

C elia, Bunny's mother and Dw ayne's w ife, killed herself earlier on due to mental instability. T he Narrator makes a note that his mother w as mentally unstable as w ell.

45. Why does The Narrator place himself in the hotel lounge scene?

Several characters are gathered in the hotel lounge at one time - Bunny, Dw ayne and, soon, some other characters. T he Narrator includes himself in the scene w earing mirrored sunglasses so that he can w atch the scene unfold.

46. What causes Kilgore to get out of the car and start walking toward Midland City and his fateful meeting with Dwayne?

W hile sitting in a traffic jam w ith the driver, Kilgore decides to get out w hen the traffic eventually halts completely. As he is w alking, he sees a fatal car accident that caused the gridlock.

47. What does The Narrator state is the spiritual climax of the novel?

Rabo Karabekian is a minimalist artist w ho makes a speech defending the value of his painting that is a green background w ith a stripe of color. He claims that it represents all of reality in that the single strip is the single intellect.

48. How are Wayne and the reader similar to one another in Chapter 19?

T he cook at the restaurant takes in W ayne and has him look through a peephole at the characters sitting in the lounge. Like the reader, W ayne is secretly w atching over all of the events that unfold bet w een the characters.

49. What is the connection between Dwayne's house and the stream of pollution that Kilgore wades through?

T he polluted stream that Kilgore w ades through is the same pollution that is ruining the Sacred Miracle C ave. T he pollution is coming from a factory w here criminal activity is taking place by the same people w ho built Dw ayne's house. 50. In Chapter 20, what does the desk clerk at the hotel say to Kilgore about his work?

An avid reader of Kilgore's, the desk clerk predicts that Kilgore is going to shake Midland C ity from its complacency. W hen Kilgore claims that the message w as meant to be negative, the clerk disagrees and says that Kilgore has returned from a negative life.

51. What does The Narrator say about himself, Kilgore and Dwayne once they are all in the hotel lounge?

T he Narrator comments that himself, Dw ayne and Kilgore create an isosceles triangle w hen they are all present in the hotel lounge.

52. Why does the sight of The Narrator in the hotel Lobby make Kilgore nervous?

Kilgore has often imagined that he is a character is someone's story. W hen he sees T he Narrator w atching him, he is reminded of these thoughts.

53. When Kilgore and Dwayne finally meet as foretold in Chapter 1, what is the cause of their meeting?

Dw ayne, grow ing increasingly unstable, accosts Kilgore because of his brightly fluorescent shirt. Kilgore is disgusted by Dw ayne's touch w ho then takes his novel and speed reads it.

54. What is one of the events in the novel that The Narrator believes he could have done differently?

T he Narrator w ants to speed up the pace of the novel by eliminated irrelevant details. He decides that Kilgore's travels could not have been possible w ith the narrative timeline, but decides it w ill be too complicated to change.

55. Why does Bunny not fight back when his father, Dwayne, assaults him in the hotel lounge?

Bunny goes into one of his trances w hile Dw ayne is beating him up. He believes that his homosexuality is the reason for his father's insanity and w ill not fight back.

56. What does Dwayne do when he fails to punch Wayne outside of the hotel?

Dw ayne exhausts himself trying to hit W ayne, so he lectures the man on slavery and race relations. W ayne is black and, therefore, Dw ayne is trying to accost him emotionally.

57. What does Dwayne do to F rancine on his violent rampage? Dw ayne goes to the car dealership and begins beating F rancine. W hen that is not enough, he takes her out into the street and continues to beat her w hile lecturing her on morality.

58. What is the parallel between Dwayne's irrelevant phrases and the narrative?

T he narrative, since the beginning, has been largely irreverent and containing irrelevant information. Just like Dw ayne's incoherent phrases, the narrative has been generally incoherent for the reader.

59. What is it that The Narrator claims has been stalking him throughout the book?

A vicious dog that had originally been a main character in the narrative has been stalking T he Narrator. He attempted to w rite the dog out, but to no avail as the dog attempts to attack T he Narrator.

60. What does The Narrator convince Kilgore of at the end of the novel?

T he Narrator sets himself up to intercept Kilgore and tells him that his suspicions are true; he is a fictional character.

Essay Topics These 20 essay questions can be used as essay questions on a test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment. Students should have a full understanding of the text in order to answer these questions. They ask for a thorough analysis of the text.

1. The overall genre of Breakfast of Champions is fiction; however the Prologue and Epilogue are written to be viewed as nonfiction with general facts about the world. Write a well crafted argument for how the Prologue and Epilogue affect the rest of the narrative. 2. The two main protagonists of Breakfast of Champions, Kilgore Trout and Dwayne Hoover, have had tumultuous relationships throughout their lives beginning in childhood and moving on into their adulthood. Assess the two characters, based on their relationships with others, and conclude whether they are, in fact, similar to one another or foils.

3. Who is The Narrator in Breakfast of Champions? The unnamed narrator claims to be a real person, but defies conventional literature and even physics at numerous points throughout the plot. What is his role within the novel? Using specific examples from the text, write a thesis explaining who you think The Narrator is within the novel.

4. George (Bunny) Hoover and Leo Trout are the sons of the novel's two main protagonists, but minor characters themselves. Using what information is provided on these two sons, write an explanation of how these characters further develop the characters of Dwayne and Kilgore. Do the sons foil one another? Are they alike? How do their characters influence Kilgore and Dwayne? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.

5. Towards the end of the novel, Rabo Karabekian, a minimalist artist, makes an appearance and his speech in the hotel lounge is noted by The Narrator as the spiritual climax of the book. What is Rabo's speech about and how is it the spiritual climax? Is it possible that Rabo's art could be a metaphor for The Narrator's novel? Explore this question through Rabo's speech and use specific examples from the text to support your answer.

6. Throughout the novel, Kilgore comes up with ideas for stories and the reader learns what Now It Can Be Told is about. How do Kilgore's literary ideas and works reflect on his character? Does the reader gain valuable insight on who Kilgore is through his stories? Support your thesis with specific examples from the text.

7. In the Prologue, The Narrator describes his childhood, including his relationship with Phoebe Hurty whose atypical views largely influenced The Narrator's views. Based on the information The Narrator provides and what the reader learns about Kilgore throughout the novel, is it possible that Kilgore is a self representation of The Narrator? Support your answer with specific examples from the text. 8. Does Breakfast of Champions have a conclusion? Is it an unfulfilled conclusion? Is there no conclusion at all? Support you answer with specific examples from the text.

9. Throughout the novel, numerous coincidences are mentioned linking characters, places and events. Describe several of these coincidences and argue whether they are significant to the narrative, or trivial. How do they affect the narrative? How do they affect characters? Do they not affect anything at all? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.

10. Rabo, Beatrice and Patty are introduced as characters in the hotel lounge scene and their conversation becomes the focus of Chapter 19. Up until this chapter, The Narrator's claim that no one character is more important than any other character has been building. Support this claim - that all characters in any work are of equal importance - with Rabo, Beatrice, Patty and their conversation.

11. There are amateurish illustrations at the beginning of the novel. Kilgore has written numerous works of fiction, but they are published as filler material in pornographic magazines. What is parallel between the accompanying illustrations to Breakfast of Champions' text and the images Kilgore's stories accompany in the pornographic magazines. Is there a parallel, or is it as insignificant as much of the details involved in the novel? Provide specific examples from the text to support your answer.

12. After Dwayne's fateful reading of Kilgore's Now It Can Be Told, he accosts numerous people in a violent rampage. Relate what is known about the plot of Kilgore's novel and how it affects Dwayne who is in a critical mental state. Assess the plot of Kilgore's novel and how Dwayne interprets it in order to explain why Dwayne embarks on his rampage after reading it.

13. During their drive, the truck driver tells Kilgore about a book he read (which turns out to be by Kilgore) involving a roulette wheel that determines the value of art. How does the plot of this book play into the plot of Breakfast of Champions? Is there a connection? Support your answer with specific examples from the text. 14. What is the significance of Kilgore's comment at the police station being picked up by a newspaper and, thus, causing widespread panic among New Yorkers? What are the circumstances surrounding Kilgore's being at the police station and what are circumstances following afterward, which Kilgore is never even made aware of? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answer.

15. What is the significance of Kilgore's accepting to speak at the arts festival, despite a desire to remain anonymous in his writing? Support your answer with specific examples from the text.

16. After seeing a message scrawled on the wall of the bathroom in the pornography theatre, Kilgore ponders the question at length. Discuss this scene with a clear thesis explaining why Kilgore devotes such attention to the question and how it affects him.

17. Describe Breakfast of Champions in literary terms. How does is transcend conventional drama in genre, plot construction, character development, and even narration? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answer.

18. In Chapter 22, The Narrator decides to speed up the pace of the narrative. What does he do in order to accomplish this? Does it in any way contradict his previous claim of all characters and details being of equal importance? Support your answer with specific examples from the text.

19. How is Wayne looking at the people in the hotel lounge through the kitchen's peephole in Chapter 19 similar to exactly what the reader is doing with Breakfast of Champions? What are the events Wayne is watching? What is their significance? Insignificance? Support your answer with specific examples from the text.

20. How could the Sacred Miracle Cave that Kyle and Lyle Hoover run be a metaphor for Breakfast of Champions? Support your answer with specific examples from the text. This complete Essay Topics contains 1,106 words. This Lesson Plan contains 36,522 words (approx. 122 pages at 300 words per page).

Fun Activities The 20 enjoyable, interactive classroom activities that are included will help your students understand the text in amusing ways. Fun Classroom Activities include group projects, games, critical thinking activities, brainstorming sessions, writing poems, drawing or sketching, and more that will allow your students to interact with each other, be creative, and ultimately grasp key concepts from the text by "doing" rather than simply studying.

1. Create a Kazak In the novel's Epilogue, The Narrator mentions a vicious dog that has been stalking him throughout the novel for trying to write him out of the text. Create your own character that could potentially plague The Narrator for attempting to do the same thing.

2. Now You Will Be Told

Kilgore's novel, Now It Can Be Told, sets Dwayne off on a violent rampage because of its message. Create a story with a message that would have an opposite effect on Dwayne; that is, a more positive effect.

3. The Roulette Wheel

One of Kilgore's novels describes a roulette wheel that determines the value of art. Create your own roulette wheel and what it would determine.

4. Illustrations

The beginning of Breakfast of Champions has some amateurish pictures that accompany the text. Draw several of your own illustrations and provide explanation for what part of the text they would coincide with.

5. Create a Coincidence

Throughout the novel, there are numerous coincidences linking people, places and events. Choose something, someplace or someone from the book and create a coincidence that could potentially link those choices.

6. Kilgore's Speech

Kilgore accepts the invitation to speak at the Midland City arts festival, but the speech never happens. Write what you potentially think Kilgore would have said about the dark side of the arts and present it to the class as Kilgore Trout.

7. 50th Birthday Present

At the end of the novel, The Narrator celebrates his 50th birthday by freeing all of his characters from their literary constraints. Come up with several different birthday celebrations The Narrator could potentially do based on what is known about The Narrator.

8. Conversation with the Creator

After reading the writing on the wall, Kilgore tries to beam his thoughts to the creator of the universe. In pairs of two, students will devise a dialogue between Kilgore and the supposed creator and present it to the class.

9. Fan Mail Write a fan letter to Kilgore praising one of his novels, or story ideas that is mentioned in Breakfast of Champions.

10. Promotional Days

Come up with another promotion day at the car dealership that would have Harry in a ridiculous get up. What would the promotion be and what would Harry wear? Design the shirt you imagine him wearing.

11. The Tourist Trap

Create a tourist attraction for Midland City to replace the Sacred Miracle Cave. What would its goal be and who would you try to attract?

12. Minimalist Art

Create a piece of art that mirrors that of the piece Rabo sold to Midland City. In order to win adoration from skeptics, how would you explain it if you were Rabo?

13. Leaps and Bounds

At one point in the novel, The Narrator accomplishes an impossible leap over a car. What kind of narrator would you be in the story? What would you be capable of? Design a narrator to present to the class.

14. Pets

Kilgore's and Dwayne's pet parakeet and Labrador are described. Come up with a couple of pets that would suit other characters in the book.

15. Breakfast of...

Bonnie says to patrons "Breakfast of champions" whenever she serves them a martini. Compile a list of other phrases she could potentially say in its place.

16. Arguments

During their drive, the truck driver and Kilgore argue about the conservation of natural resources. Come up with an argument, along those lines, that the driver and Kilgore could have potentially argued. What would they argue about? Who would have what stance?

17. Fiction

Kilgore is eventually told that he is, in fact, a fictional character in a novel. Create a fictional character that you could potentially be, such as Kilgore. How do you react when you are told you are fictional?

18. Plagues of the Cave Lyle and Kyle Hoover complain that industrial waste is flowing through the cave and creating odorous bubbles. Draw a pictorial of this cave, mapping out what it looks like, where the industrial waste is coming in, the bubbles, etc.

19. Celia Hoover and Mrs. Narrator

Who is Celia and The Narrator's mothers? All we know of their characters is that they both were mentally unstable. What kind of characters would they have played in this novel? Create a character sketch for Celia and The Narrator's mother.

20. Narrative Timelines

The Narrator decides to speed up the pace of the narrative and realizes that Kilgore's journey could not have happened with the given timeline. Devise a timeline with a small group, mapping Kilgore's travels in the allotted time given in the novel to find out if this is true.

This complete Fun Activities contains 803 words. This Lesson Plan contains 36,522 words (approx. 122 pages at 300 words per page).

Characters

Kilgore Trout - This character has written numerous short stories, but by choice, does not receive payment or recognition for them.

Dwayne Hoover - This character rampages through the Midland City, assaulting several people, before being apprehended by the police.

The Narrator - This character dictates where characters go and what they do by simply writing a scene about it.

Francine Pefko - This character downplays and even hides her own intelligence in order to fill the accepted role within society.