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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. How are Earl and Edna related?

2. In the story "Weekend," what did George do for a living before retiring?

3. What is the name of the first babysitter Carlyle hires?

4. What story element is Vance trying to explain through his retelling of "The Amish Farmer"?

5. What problem does the cab driver claim plagues the town of Rock Springs?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Louise's husband react when Louise gains weight during her pregnancy?

2. What pleasant memory does the young girl from the story "Verona" have about her father from her childhood?

3. What types of authors did Jenks and Carver seek to publish in this short story collection?

4. Why doesn't Push like John Williams, and what does he do about it?

5. Who is Push in the story "A Poetic for Bullies," and who is his sidekick?

6. Why does Lenore comfort George at the end of the story "Weekend"?

7. What reason does Raymond Carver give about why he wanted to compose this collection of short stories?

8. What type of relationship does George have with his ex-students?

9. How does Willie's father react when Willi tells him what he witnessed in the barn?

10. What arrangement is struck-up between the three destitute characters in the story "1/3, 1/3, 1/3"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"The Fat Girl" is a story of a woman who struggles with every relationship in her life, from her relationship with others to her relationship with herself. Describe why Louise struggles to love herself. Describe what steps Louise takes to better her life and the outcome of these attempts. Explain how Louise's struggles for love and acceptance rear their head again once she is married and has become a mother. What does Louise give up in order to find herself again? What is Louise's emotional journey? Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your argument.

Essay Topic 2

In the story "A Good Man is Hard to Find," the grandmother has an obsession with one article of clothing. First, describe that article of clothing and explain why it is so important to the grandmother. What does the grandmother think this item of clothing represents? Then, explain what happens to this article of clothing as the story progresses. How does the change in the clothing item represent the emotional and moral changes occurring in the grandmother's character? Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

The story "Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is full of moments when reality and fantasy intermix, particularly in the mind of Connie. Describe the fantasy Connie has about love and compare that to the reality of the romance present in her young life. Then, describe the fantasy Connie creates about Arnold Friend and compare it to the reality of who he really is. Finally, explain the way that Connie's experiences with Arnold, either real or imagined, affected the way she views the world. Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

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