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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 Mr. Nordoff?

2. What happened to Mark's son in "The Jaunt"?

3. How does Hal's youngest son feel about his older brother's discovery?

4. Where is "The Wedding Gig" set?

5. What are the names of Mark's children?

Short Essay Questions

1. What significance does the word processor hold for Richard after Jon's death?

2. What seems to be the factor linking Mrs. Todd and Homer?

3. In "The Monkey," what does the stuffed creature represent to Hal? What fears does it reawaken within him?

4. While Randy is trying to save Deke from being sucked between the cracks in the raft by the black, oil-like creature, what is Randy doing to try and stay sane through the unbelievable situation?

5. In "The Mist," what do you think is the underlying message the story conveys to the reader? Cite examples from the story.

6. In "Word Processor of the Gods," what do you think about Richard's choice of his brother's family over his own? Is a choice made of faithfulness or greed?

7. Why do you think King bases his entire introduction on a seemingly mundane conversation with a friend?

8. Compare/contrast the two rooms in the PAT. Why do you think they are so drastically different?

9. In what format is "Paranoid: A Chant" written, and what significance does it lend to the story?

10. Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect; an extravagant statement. For example, "The sun was blindingly bright and hotter than ten thousand fires." Give an example of hyperbole from "The Wedding Gig" and give an explanation of why King uses it in this story.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Using "Skeleton Crew" as your example, describe how Stephen King's writing style brought new fans to the horror genre. What does he use that most other horror writers don't? How does his incorporation of humor add to his stories? What do you think he does differently than other writers? What seems to be "textbook" about his approach to writing?

Essay Topic 2

Character development can be difficult in a short story with less opportunity available for detail. What are some examples of well-developed characters within these stories? How does King manage to develop them so thoroughly? Do you think other characters in these stories were less developed? Do you think this detracts from the story?

Essay Topic 3

Symbolism is the use of an object, character, figure, place, or color to represent an abstract idea or concept. Stephen King uses symbolism quite readily in his writing. Give three examples of symbolism in "Skeleton Crew" and describe how the use of those symbols makes the story more interesting.

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