View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does the narrator want to know more about Lisa in "In the Basement"?

2. What does Joshua tell Elsa that makes her befriend him in "Middleman"?

3. In "When in Rome," how does Kevin know Troy?

4. In "Middleman," why does Joshua meet Elsa at all of her auditions?

5. In "Middleman," why can't Joshua get Elsa's attention?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "When in Rome," why does Caleb admit to trying to choke Kevin?

2. In what was are Caleb and Kevin different in "When in Rome"?

3. In "Middleman," how does John meet Elsa?

4. In "In the Basement," how does Nicholas describe Lisa's lifestyle?

5. In "Middleman," what does John's father say about his time in the Navy?

6. In "In the Basement," what is kept in a basement?

7. At the end of "In the Basement," how does the narrator feel?

8. In "When in Rome," why does Caleb tell the story about visiting his brother in California?

9. How does John try to help Elsa's acting career in "Middleman"?

10. How does John feel at the end of "Middleman"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many of the characters in this collection of stories are opposites of one another. Analyze the use of opposite characters within a story or stories. How do they develop the plot? How do they develop the themes?

Essay Topic 2

None of the romantic relationships in this collection are successful. Choose at least three romantic relationships to assess. What makes them failures? What message does the author convey with these relationships? What themes are constructed through these failed relationships?

Essay Topic 3

Many of the stories in this collection have vague or unclear endings. What role do these endings serve? What do the endings bring to a close? What message does the author convey with vague endings?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 831 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample