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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. Anders sarcastically compares the complaint of the woman in front of him to what social issue?

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

3. The woman in front of Anders says that she thinks that the bank is treating their customers in what "way" (4)?

4. Immediately after Anders's evocation of a Biblical place, the woman in front of him takes what action?

5. To whom is "Buzz him in" said in Paragraph 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way is Anders shown to be hypocritical within the opening scene of the story?

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

3. What evidence suggests that the robbers are indeed following a script of sorts throughout the robbery?

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

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

6. How does Wolff use allusion within the story?

7. Describe the man with the sawed-off shotgun.

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

9. Describe the setting in the opening of the story "Bullet in the Brain."

10. For what purpose does the man with the sawed-off shotgun put down his weapon at one point?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of Wolff’s story "Bullet in the Brain" and one of the story's main messages. How does Wolff make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help Wolff get across one main message of the story?

Essay Topic 2

Could "Bullet in the Brain" be classified as a horror story? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the use of repetition throughout the story. What is Wolff’s purpose for employing the device frequently as he tells the story of “Bullet in the Brain”?

(see the answer keys)

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