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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. How many times is Mary Jane at Eloise's house before?

2. Where does Mary Jane get the cameo brooch she is wearing?

3. How many New York advertising men are staying at the same hotel as Muriel Glass?

4. How is Seymour pushing Sybil in the water?

5. What size shoe does Ginnie wear?

Short Essay Questions

1. What leads the reader to believe that tension is building throughout the story?

2. Why is the setting appropriate for the story, Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut?

3. What is the issue with the book Seymour gives Muriel?

4. What indications does the reader have in the beginning of the story, Just Before the War with the Eskimos, that it is about a wealthy group of people?

5. What makes the reader think that perhaps Eric is not allowed into the military because he is homosexual?

6. Why does Ginnie suddenly forgive Selena's debt?

7. What clues is the reader given that Franklin is bitter about Joan?

8. What does Franklin do to make Ginnie look at him in a positive light?

9. What happens to the Laughing Man?

10. What does the reader learn about Muriel's mother during the "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast your favorite and least favorite characters in the book. Use specific examples from the book to explain what you do and do not like about each character.

Essay Topic 2

Why is Nine Stories an important collection of short stories? What does it contribute to American literary history?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast your favorite story from Nine Stories to your least favorite story. Explain what you like and dislike from each story. Use specific examples from the book.

(see the answer keys)

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