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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. Why was Hank disappointed when his father finally brought home a dog?

2. What does Hank do with what he finds on a shelf in Pope's office?

3. What did the dog do soon after it arrived at Hank's?

4. How did Hank's father get the dog?

5. What does Herbert Schonberg want Hank to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Hank meet at the local bowling alley for lunch? What do they talk about?

2. When Hank gets home from the staff meeting, who is he greeted by? What does Hank find amusing about Teddy's reaction?

3. Who does Hank meet after he leaves his friend's house? What is his reaction to this?

4. When he was eight, Hank's father did get a dog for him. What was the dog like, where did Mr. Devereaux get it, and what was Hank's reaction? Why did he react that way?

5. Hank goes to see Dickie Pope. Who is Pope and what nickname does the staff give to his office? What does Hank do in his office? What does Pope hint to Hank?

6. After meeting with his colleagues and before Hank leaves his office to go home, Hank looks around his office and reminisces about his stint as interim chair. What is his assessment?

7. The morning after Hank is hit in the nose at a staff meeting, he walks across campus and notices a construction site. What will this site be and what does Hank think about it?

8. The morning after his news debut, Hank realizes the film has been shown on Good Morning, America, much to everyone's amusement. Hank heads to see Campbell Wheemer. What is Hank's nickname for Wheemer? Why does he call him that? How is Wheemer a contrast to Hank?

9. What does Hank say in the Prologue about his father's life after the arrival of the dog? What does he say about his relationship with his father?

10. After Hank leaves Bodie Pie's office, what does he notice is happening again?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Hank relate the anecdote about his childhood dog so that it blends the adult Hank and the young Hank? If "the child is the father of the man", what was it about Hank's childhood that contributed to how the adult Hank views the world?

Essay Topic 2

Define what is meant by "style" in writing. Discuss what kind of style is used traditional nonfiction, novels, and creative nonfiction. Which style was used in the writing of "Straight Man"? Support your answer with four examples.

Essay Topic 3

The setting refers to the time and the place where a story takes place. Compare and contrast the settings of "Straight Man" regarding time. How does it compare to the childhood he describes in the Epilogue to Book One? Cite at least three examples from the book where Russo discusses how the setting, in reference to time, has changed.

(see the answer keys)

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