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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. Who is Muriel Glass speaking with on the telephone at the beginning of the story, A Perfect Day for Bananafish?

2. Who is John Gedsudski?

3. Who is Seymour Glass?

4. What does Eloise think all women tell their husbands?

5. What does Selena's brother offer for Ginnie to eat?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the Chief so important to the boys?

2. What happens with Seymour and the trees?

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

4. What does the floating red tissue represent in The Laughing Man?

5. Why does Ginnie think Selena's brother looks goofy?

6. Why does Eloise so fondly remember Walt?

7. How does the reader know the setting takes place shortly after the end of World War II?

8. Why are Mary Jane and Eloise good friends for each other?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does the narrator in De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period feel the need to lie about so many details in the letter of application for the art teaching position? Explore the reasons why he continues the lies upon arrival as well.

Essay Topic 2

In For Esme - With Love and Squalor, a young girl becomes a powerful leader in recovery for the narrator. Why is Esme able to be so helpful to a solider that is so adversely affected by the war? What simple acts help him most? Why isn't his family able to help as much as Esme? How does a 13-year-old that he meets one time leave such a lasting impression?

Essay Topic 3

The wealthy and bored housewife character is written about in a couple of the short stories in Salinger's collection. Explore this character by comparing and contrasting the women. What do they have in common? Why is this a returning type of character in the collection?

(see the answer keys)

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