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. Into what position does the man with the shotgun force the security guard?

2. Who places a sign in one of the bank tellers' windows?

3. The man with the pistol asks Anders if he has what condition?

4. Who opens the security gate leading to the bank tellers' stations?

5. What verb is used to describe the way in which the man with the shotgun places the guard's hands behind his back?

Short Essay Questions

1. At what time of day does the story take place?

2. Contrast Anders's reaction to the bank robbery with the reaction of the woman in front of Anders in line.

3. What is the first turn of phrase used by the man with the pistol that interests Anders and why?

4. What does the man with the sawed-off shotgun do with his weapon when he needs both hands to complete a different task?

5. Name the violent actions taken by the man with the sawed-off shotgun.

6. How does Wolff use allusion within the story?

7. How does Anders invoke the idea of justice within the scene of the robbery?

8. What is the first question the man with the pistol asks Anders and what is Anders's reply?

9. Anders refers to the conflict at the center of the story as what object? Why?

10. Discuss a moment in the story that reveals who is in charge of the bank robbery.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Look carefully at Anders’s language use throughout the story. What is Wolff’s purpose for shaping Anders’s voice in the way that he does? For example, why does Wolff choose to have Anders make an allusion to an Ernest Hemingway story as he is remarking on the robbers’ use of language?

Essay Topic 2

Trace the characterization arc of Anders’s character throughout the story. Discuss whether Anders is a round or flat character and whether he is a static or dynamic character.

Essay Topic 3

How is the topic of masculinity treated within Wolff’s story and how does its treatment relate to the story's depicted messages?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 986 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample