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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. According to the narrator, behind all the gaudiness of New Jersey lies ____________________.

2. In what conditions did Balzac write?

3. According to the narrator, New Jerseyites are bound together as _______________.

4. What does the narrator do after passing out food for fifteen hours straight?

5. In addition to the Statue of Liberty, what else does the narrator think is an American construct of false Utopia?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe some of the misfortunes that happened to the boys as they tried to engage in camp activities.

2. Why was forestcraft so boring to the narrator and his friends?

3. What was the narrator able to tell about the tailgater following him yesterday?

4. What are some New Jersey highway landmarks the narrator mentions?

5. What prompts the narrator to recall his college days?

6. Who is Ernie and what happened to him during the narrator's story of KP duty?

7. Why does the book never mention the narrator's wartime experiences?

8. Name some New Jersey characteristics that make it the butt of comedians' jokes.

9. Why was the narrator underwhelmed by his summer camp experience?

10. How did the narrator's army experience separate him from the world?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a character study of the narrator. What are his physical characteristics? What are his personality traits? What are his motivations? What are his fears? What else can you say about the narrator?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Shepherd's writing style. How is he different from other writers of his time? What are some of his characteristic writing techniques? Identify some examples of his classic style in this book.

Essay Topic 3

Shepherd was a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony. Briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

(see the answer keys)

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