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. Who is the first person in the household staff to learn Wilbur and Eliza are smart?

2. When Wilbur is old, he looks forward to seeing Dr. Mott where?

3. Melody first gets pregnant at what age?

4. On Wilbur's 15th birthday, what noise gives Letitia a breakdown?

5. The day after their 15th birthday, what do Wilbur and Eliza do for the first time?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Wilbur is sent to school, what happens to his relationship with Eliza?

2. Why do Wilbur and Eliza pretend to be idiots while growing up?

3. Why do the servants at the mansion believe it is haunted?

4. As a child, why was Wilbur worried about Dr. Mott?

5. According to Wilbur, why have people stopped visiting Manhattan?

6. Upon hearing the story "The Ugly Duckling," Eliza makes up her own ending. What does the duckling turn into?

7. Why is Dr. Mott important to Wilbur and Eliza?

8. Why does Kurt Vonnegut admire the performances of Laurel and Hardy?

9. Who does Kurt Vonnegut consider his family, in addition to his immediate family?

10. Why does Dr. Cordiner get angry at Wilbur and Eliza?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the Prologue, Kurt Vonnegut reveals the secret technique behind his writing ability.

1) What is the secret?

2) Why does this work for him?

3) Why is this information significant?

Essay Topic 2

In the Prologue, Kurt Vonnegut discusses his heritage and why it had to be hidden away.

1) What is his heritage, and how did it shape who he is?

2) Why was he forced to hide his heritage?

3) How did this affect his life?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, the Chinese create inventions that could help Wilbur and Eliza resolve many of their physical and personal issues. These inventions are mentioned in passing. Select a moment in the text where one of these inventions are mentioned and analyze what this invention could resolve for Wilbur or Eliza.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 567 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample