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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 happens when George tries to cover Gramma with a sheet?

2. What is George Gregson doing in the parlor with his friends in "The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands"?

3. What does Shapiro do while Rand stands mesmerized by the shifting sand?

4. What happens to McCutchson?

5. In "For Owen," what is the name of the street passed while walking to school?

Short Essay Questions

1. Compare Henry and Reg and how their relationship affected them both.

2. The milkman in King's short stories is certainly not your ordinary milkman. He spreads death rather than cheer with wholesome milk. What about Spike makes his methods that much more unusual?

3. Often, a killer's choice of weapon will say a lot about that person. What do you think Spike's method of operation and choice of weapon say about him?

4. In "Nona," an innocent and once-upstanding man falls prey to the wiles of a sadistic, evil woman. Giving in to his "darker" side, he performs obscene, despicable acts at the whim of Nona. What do you think King is trying to say with this short story?

5. Rocky seems to be a bit of an intimidator himself. Though it is long past closing time, he coerces his friend into giving his car an inspection sticker. What do you think this says about Rocky?

6. At the end of "Nona," the narrator is surrounded by rats, and Nona herself turns into a huge, disgusting rat. The narrator then embraces the rat and indicates that he is planning suicide. What do you think this story is really about?

7. "For Owen" seems oddly placed in this collection of stories. Why might King have placed a story about his young son in the midst of more savage and frightening ones?

8. What is an example of a metaphor used in "Beachworld" and what comparison is it trying to convey?

9. Reg likely suffers from a serious mental illness, yet Henry continues to encourage Reg's fantasies. What do you think was Henry's motivating factor?

10. Uncle Otto's business partner, George, was killed in an accident involving Otto's truck. Most people believe that Otto killed George over a business disagreement. Given the circumstances of the ending, do you think it was Uncle Otto or Uncle Otto's truck that killed George and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

The general atmosphere created in a story is often referred to as "tone." Identify the tone of the following short stories and describe how it adds or detracts from the story itself:

1. "The Mist"

2. "The Reaper's Image"

3. "For Owen"

4. Either of the "Milkman" stories

5. "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut"

Essay Topic 3

A simile is a figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, often in a phrase introduced by like or as, as in "How like the winter hath my absence been" or "So are you to my thoughts as food to life." Recall a simile used in "The Mist" and explain why it seems more descriptive than the usual mundane expression of simple adjectives.

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