View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the narrator in "The Last You'll Hear From Me"?

2. How do Annette and Randy spend their time together according to the narrator of "The Last You'll Hear From Me"?

3. Why does Glen urge readers to boycott Dave's Kwik Stop in "Glen's Homophobia Newsletter"?

4. Why does the narrator in "Glen's Homophobia Newsletter" encourage readers to mention his newsletter to others rather than lending them their copies of it?

5. Who does the narrator's mother insult at the beginning of "We Get Along"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the "kid from down the block", who brings Dawn records in "Music from Lovers", from the narrator's perspective.

2. In "We Get Along", what do the narrator and his mother do late at night? Why?

3. Describe the instances of "homophobia" that Glen believes he experiences after speaking with Drew on the phone in "Glen's Homophobia Newsletter".

4. In "We Get Along", what does the narrator think the initials W.S. stand for? Why?

5. What is the genre of "Don's Story"? How is it a "spoof" on an actual piece in this genre?

6. In "Don's Story", why does Don say that many people are watching his speech "with rage and jealousy"?

7. Contrast the narrator in "Firestone" with his co-workers (Carlton and Taylor).

8. Describe The Sportsman in "We Get Along".

9. What prompts Mr. Holt to send Chad to Mr. Chatam for guitar lessons in "My Manuscript"?

10. Contrast the story Taylor tells about his child with the actual facts about his child in "Firestone".

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Imagine if one of the stories in this collection was missing from it. Choose one of the stories and "remove" it from the collection. Write an essay:

1) explaining the role that the story plays in the collection,

2) describing how the novel would be different without the story, and

3) comment on the quality of the book without the story: Would it be better or worse? Why?

Be sure to use specific examples from the stories to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

The final four pieces in "Barrel Fever" are listed as "essays". In your essay,

1) describe the qualities that an essay typically has,

2) discuss how two of these pieces fit the genre of essay, and

3) discuss how two of these pieces present a unique take on the genre of essay.

Be sure to use evidence from the stories to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

Two of Sedaris' stories in "Barrel Fever" ("The Last You'll Hear From Me" and "Don's Story") are written as speeches. In your essay,

1) discuss how speeches are typically used by people,

2) discuss how Sedaris uses the genre of speech in each of these stories, and

3) analyze the statement the author is trying to make about the genre of speech.

Be sure to use evidence from the stories to support your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,156 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample