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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. Who are the "really bitter elves" according to the author in "Santaland Diaries"?

2. What genre is "Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family"?

3. Why does the narrator's father refuse to see his grandson in "Jamboree"?

4. What color does the narrator paint the baby's nursery in "Jamboree"?

5. Why does the narrator of "After Malison" agree to let the old man sit at her table at the hotel bar?

Short Essay Questions

1. What story does Sedaris tell the little boy Riley when he throws a temper tantrum in "Santaland Diaries"?

2. What are the two reasons the narrator gives for boycotting Malison's reading in "After Malison"?

3. What do IV and PCD stand for in "Barrel Fever"? What is the significance of these acronyms for the narrator?

4. Describe the experience of visiting the oldest Santa in "Santaland Diaries".

5. What connection do the elves working at Santa Land have with "One Life to Live" in "Santaland Diaries"?

6. Describe the narrator's elf costume in "Santaland Diaries".

7. Describe Kyle Dunbar in "Season's Greetings to Our Family and Friends".

8. Who is Trudy Chase in "Barrel Fever"? How does the narrator react to a phone call from Trudy?

9. What story does the narrator of "Giantess" think he and Lili should tell the man whose plate they broke?

10. What does the narrator of "Giantess" expect his fellow workers to do as they are waiting in the apartment of an extremely rich client? What do they actually do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

In "Barrel Fever", the author David Sedaris frequently pushes his topics to the point of absurdity. Select three of the stories where Sedaris uses absurdity and:

1) discuss how absurdity is used in the story,

2) analyze why absurdity is used in the story, and

3) determine the purpose of the absurdity in the stories. Why does Sedaris like to point out the absurd in life?

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

Essay Topic 3

Through the stories in "Barrel Fever", David Sedaris demonstrates what he believes humor is. Drawing on evidence from the stories:

1) define "humor" from Sedaris' point of view, and

2) discuss how he shows his readers what he believes is funny through his stories.

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

(see the answer keys)

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