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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 does Paul do toward the end of Chapter 4 when his dad is getting ready to leave?

2. What does Frank try to do to Vicki when he returns from the interview in Detroit?

3. Who is Frank's ex-wife responsible for taking care of?

4. Where did Frank and his now ex-wife settle after they were married?

5. What type of novel is "The Sportswriter"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Frank's desire to both be a part of his family again and to allow his ex-wife to go on with her life without him evident?

2. Frank returns to the hotel in Detroit after the interview to find Vicki depressed. Why is Vicki depressed?

3. Why do Frank and Vicki decide to leave Detroit early?

4. How is the theme of quiet despair seen in the interview with the football player in Detroit?

5. Detail Frank's writing career.

6. What makes Frank's human-interest story, the interview with the football player in Detroit, difficult to write?

7. What does Frank do when he has trouble sleeping at the hotel in Detroit?

8. What is Frank nervous about with Vicki in Detroit?

9. Why does Frank hope Vicki does not come back while his doctor is around at the airport?

10. How has the death of their son Ralph taken a big toll on Frank and X?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Frank wants to be normal. He is jealous of those people he gets to know or sees that have a "normal" life. What does Frank consider to be normal? Name three people in the story that Frank believes have a normal life and give details of how Frank believes their life is normal.

Essay Topic 2

Suicide is a very difficult thing to deal with. Even though Frank did not get along well with Walter, hearing of the suicide of Walter changed Frank and brought more despair and grief. Give examples from the story of how Frank dealt with Walter's suicide. Did the suicide bring up different feelings from those of the death of Frank's son Ralph? How? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Ralph's death from Reye's Syndrome caused a big shake up in the lives of Ralph's family, eventually even leading to divorce. How can Ralph's death be viewed as a foreshadowing event for both Frank and X? Be sure to include details and examples from the story to defend your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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