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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. At the opening of the story, how does Willi feel about his life?

2. In the story, "The Fisherman From Chihuahua," what type of business does Pendleton own?

3. To what does the narrator in the story "1/3, 1/3, 1/3" compare his neighbor, the poor woman?

4. How many children does Carlyle have?

5. In the story, "The Bystander," who did Arty's father attack before being committed to a mental institution?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Daniel aggressively attack Noel in the story "The Amish Farmer"?

2. Why has Earl taken to the road in "Rock Springs" and who does he take with him?

3. What part about Arty's life made him feel like a "Bystander"?

4. What happens when Sean is trapped in an elevator in the story "Midair"?

5. Why is Willi Varig hired to tell his story to an audience of people in the story, "Talk of Heroes"?

6. What memory does Sean have of his father from when he was a 6 year old boy in the story "Midair"?

7. What does Sonny blame his heroin addiction on?

8. What type of relationship does Louise have with her mother in the story "The Fat Girl"?

9. What reaction does the narrator have when watching Sonny play his music in the story "Sonny's Blues"?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Water Liars" expresses the relationship between truth and story telling. Choose one of the stories that the men told on Farte's Pier and express whether or not you believe the story to be true and why. Why do the men on the pier continue to tell the story? What message is sent to the reader about the value of truth, or lack thereof, in a good story? How do the stories told at Farte's Pier help the narrator cope with his personal problems? Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Many critics have claimed that the story "Willi" is a cautionary tale against the danger of infidelity. Describe the situation through which infidelity is introduced into this story. Create a list of emotions generated by the characters in this story after the infidelity is revealed. Explain whether you agree with the critics who claim this story to be a cautionary tale and explain why. Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your argument.

Essay Topic 3

In "The Story of a Scar," the young man listening to the older woman's story constantly heckles the story and judges the woman before its completion. Choose at least two examples of moments in which the young man judged the older woman. What assumptions did he make about her before she had finished her story? Did his assumptions turn out to be true? Explain why or why not. Finally, describe how the young man reacted when the older woman's story was complete. Had his opinion of the woman changed or did it remain the same? Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe help to strengthen your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

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