"At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers" Postmodernism Quiz

(Pg. 88) Which of the following two quotes from the text best supports the idea that we, the public, glorify movie stars, and look at them as the all-powerful of society?

• "Movie stars are here, among the bidders, bringing their glossy, spangled auras to the saleroom."

• "Movie-star auras, developed in collaboration with masters of Applied Psychics, are platinum, golden, silver, bronze."

• "When one of us collides with a star's priceless (and fragile) aura, he or she is instantly knocked to the floor by a security team and hustled out to the waiting paddy-wagons."

(pg. 88-89) "The system pumps a hundred thousand volts of electricity into the collagen-implanted lips of the glass-kisser, terminating her interest in the proceeding."

• This line may support the Postmodern idea that America has become a place which highly values looks (a lowercase t for truth), and in the eyes of Rushdie, it's vain and foolish.

• This line probably supports the Modern idea that plastic surgery is order--a good thing--and every American should get it done to improve their looks.

(Pg. 89) "We, the public, are easily, lethally offended. We have come to think of taking offence as a fundamental right. We value very little more highly than our rage, which gives us, in our opinion, the moral high ground."

A Postmodern truth which applies to this line is the idea that we, the American public, always have to be:

• politically correct

• politically incorrect

• politically neutral

• antipolitical

(Pg. 90) "Around the--let us say--shrine of the ruby-sequinned slippers, pools of saliva have been forming. There are those of us who lack restraint, who drool."

This line best supports which of the following?

• The Postmodern truth in America that many believe material wealth is all that matters.

• The Postmodern truth in America that many believe salivating is cool.

• The Modern Truth in America that everyone needs to wear ruby-sequinned slippers--they represent order.

(Pg. 90) Which of the following lines best supports the Postmodern idea that everything is relative? There really is no objective truth.

• "They make indecipherable notes."

• "Behaviourist philosophers and quantum scientists crowd around the magic shoes."

• "Opportunities for encountering the truly miraculous are limited in our Nietzschean, relativistic universe."

(Pg. 92) "Disapproving critiques of the fetishising of the slippers are offered by religious fundamentalists, who have been allowed to gain entry by virtue of the extreme liberalism of some of the Auctioneers, who argue that a civilised saleroom must be a broad church, open, tolerant."

This best supports which of the following Postmodern truths in America today?

• We need to be intolerant of all ideas.

• We need to be tolerant of all ideas.

• We need to be both tolerant and intolerant of all ideas.

(pg. 93) " 'Home' has become such a scattered, damaged, various concept in our present travails."

Rushdie may be commenting on what focal points in today's society?

• Poor roofing jobs on homes.

• Immigration and multiculturalism.

• Both of these.