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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. Whom does David quote as saying, "Home is a holy thing" (67)?

2. What movie is Nic reviewing when he declares, "Great songs. Great crows" (25)?

3. When Nic works as a barista, he gives the nickname of "Why bothers" (95) to people who order what drink?

4. About what topic does David educate Nic and his friends when he drives them to school each day?

5. David Sheff states in the introduction that he uses what literary device sparingly within the memoir?

Short Essay Questions

1. What reason does Sheff provide for his decision to forego foreshadowing within the memoir?

2. For what purpose does David Sheff use an allusion to the film Welcome to the Dollhouse at the opening of Chapter 6?

3. How do the themes of secrecy and deception emerge within the memoir's introduction?

4. What pattern does David note in Nic's literary tastes in high school?

5. Describe the setting depicted in the introduction.

6. What advice do many "drug counselors tell parents" of David's "generation" (52) with respect to drug use and honesty?

7. What major revelation does David make to the reader upon describing his son's admission of crystal meth use?

8. What is the cause of David's resentment toward Nic, even though David knows that he has an illness?

9. Discuss Sheff's purpose for providing statistics about methamphetamine use in the introduction.

10. What is the first altercation between David and Nic about Nic's use of substances?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Sheff use sensory details in order to paint a vivid portrait of anecdotes included within the text? Discuss at least two scenes that include the use of sensory details and pull quotes from these scenes to support your claims.

Essay Topic 2

How is the theme of deception portrayed in David Sheff’s memoir? Examine the author's treatment of and messages regarding deception throughout the work.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the paradoxes inherent in the struggle against addiction and analyze how Sheff portrays these paradoxical elements within the memoir.

(see the answer keys)

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