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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. What term is used to refer to the relationship between the bank robbers?

2. Anders is said to utilize what element in every review he writes?

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

4. In what position is the guard lying after taking a blow from the man with the shotgun?

5. Anders is unable to get to the bank until "just before" (1) when?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What sort of narration does the story "Bullet in the Brain" employ?

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

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. What evidence points to the conclusion that Wolff wants the reader to view Anders's actions as selfish?

6. Provide an account of the chain reaction that leads to Wolff's revelation of the story's main conflict.

7. Describe the first physical contact one of the robbers makes with Anders.

8. How does Wolff use allusion within the story?

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

10. What is the main conflict at the center of the story and who is involved in that conflict?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

William Faulkner once famously claimed that the most important literature deals with the subject of the human heart in conflict with itself. Explain how the theme of Human versus Self is demonstrated within Wolff’s story “Bullet in the Brain.” Create a decisive, arguable claim and prove it with quotes from the story.

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

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)

This section contains 966 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample