Misery

Multiple Choice

1. B (Various chapters)

2. C (Various chapters)

3. A (Various chapters)

4. C (Various chapters)

5. C (Various chapters)

6. A (Various chapters)

7. B (Part 2, Chapter 3)

8. D (Various chapters)

9. B (Part 2, Chapter 15)

10. A (Part 3, Chapter 5)

11. C (Various chapters)

12. D (Various chapters)

13. D (Part 3, Chapter 46)

14. C (Various chapters)

15. A (Various chapters)

Long Answer

1. Paul uses his memory of his mother at the zoo to describe his confinement by drawing parallels to himself and the caged bird that belonged in Africa. Africa is mentioned again and again in the novel as a symbol of freedom from captivity. Annie uses the rat she trapped in the basement to symbolize Paul, indicating that he and the rat probably feel the same. The Misery series symbolically parallels Paul’s experiences in Annie’s house: At the beginning of Paul’s novel, Misery is trapped in a grave and tries to escape being buried alive. (Various chapters)

2. There are clues at the beginning of the novel that point to Paul’s alcohol abuse. He does not remember at first that his heavy drinking caused his car accident. Annie later gives him Novril to help him overcome his injuries, but Paul soon realizes he is addicted. Annie uses his dependency on Novril to keep Paul dependent on her and to torture him when he has done something she doesn’t like. Paul eventually realizes that being free from drug and alcohol abuse helps his writing significantly. He uses this knowledge to finish Misery’s Return. After he kills Annie and returns to his old life, he relapses into alcohol abuse. However, as he begins his new book, he sees images of Annie and then decides not to drink. (Various chapters)