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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What mental illness does the author's son suffer and recover from?

2. How much does Vonnegut believe is enough to make a masterpiece? Beyond that, it is like empty talk at the end of a party.

3. Why does the general at the ROTC inspection write down Vonnegut's name, which seems to lead to Vonnegut never rising above Private First Class?

4. He says his father is a rarity among Hoosiers. What other fantasy creature does the author compare his father to?

5. Vonnegut believes that the goal in the U.S. is only to train intelligent, well-educated people to do what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is one similarity and one difference between the author and Elie Wiesel?

2. Name one similarity and one difference between Jane and Vonnegut.

3. How has Hemingway grown dated?

4. What is Vonnegut's opinion of liberty?

5. What is a possible reason for Jane's English relatives not wanting her to marry a German?

6. A master's degree in anthropology has taught Vonnegut the "villains" are culture, society and history, not drugs. What proof does Vonnegut give of this belief?

7. What does Vonnegut say when his book is burned?

8. The 20th century is the first to get reliable information about the human condition. Why does Vonnegut believe that this could be a bad thing?

9. What does FATES WORSE THAN DEATH by humorist Kurt Vonnegut contain?

10. Why does Vonnegut say the NRA is incorrect in its use of Article II of the Bill of Rights?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the purpose of organizations such as CARE and World Vision? IF you organized your own association, what would it be called? What would be the purpose of your organization?

Essay Topic 2

Mental illness affects several discussed throughout the book.

Part 1) What could be the cause(s) of the Vonnegut family's mental illness?

Part 2) How does Vonnegut's mother's suicide affect his life?

Part 3) How might Vonnegut feel about his own son's mental illness?

Essay Topic 3

The Attorney General's Commission on Pornography is created to protect the public from immoral literature.

Part 1) Does the United States have the right to decide what is moral or immoral? Why or why not?

Part 2) Give examples from the text that reveal the beliefs of this Commission.

Part 3) Do all the members of the Commission "practice what they preach?"

(see the answer keys)

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