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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 story is the father reading to his child in 'Locks'?

2. What disguise does Harlequin take in order to speak to Missy?

3. Where is the author the second time reality seems to fade?

4. What does the professor say being left behind meant for her?

5. In the poem 'Instructions' what is it important to always trust?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do you think happened to Becky at the end of the story?

2. Do you think Miss Corvier is supernatural or a normal but disturbed human?

3. Why does Triolet say that she is a poem?

4. Based on the instructions given in the poem 'Instructions,' what kind of morals are needed to survive fairyland?

5. Describe the character of Harlequin.

6. In the story 'Goliath,' what is real and what is not?

7. Why does Becky break up with the narrator?

8. In 'The Day the Saucer's Came' why does the person in the poem not notice such incredible events?

9. Describe the narrator's attempts to find Scarlet in 'Pages from a Journal...'

10. Is the professor the same person as Susan from the Narnia books?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Do you enjoy Neil Gaiman's writing? Justify your answer by using examples from the text. Include in your discussion the author's use of language, meaning, characterization, symbolism, and metaphor. Use at least three stories and poems from this collection in your response.

Essay Topic 2

What exactly happens in the story 'Bitter Grounds' and what does the story mean? Does it have several meanings? Is there a message in the story?

Essay Topic 3

What is the purpose and worth of fiction? Why are stories important? Discuss how the author deals with these questions in his stories and poems.

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