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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. Between utterances of the word the man with the pistol had just said, Anders invokes the name of what deity?

2. How many questions does the man with the pistol ask Anders before Anders answers "No" the second time?

3. The origin of the memory that arises within Anders's conscious mind is described with the use of what adjective?

4. The ceiling of the bank is said to be "crowded with" (26) what?

5. The barrel of the gun is said to have what effect on Anders's body?

Short Essay Questions

1. The man with the pistol wonders aloud if Anders views him in what way?

2. What is Anders's reply to the question he is asked the third time he is called "Bright boy" (27)?

3. Discuss an instance of irony within the story.

4. In what way does Anders react to the man with the pistol's use of 1940s slang and what is the end result?

5. Where are the entrance and exit wounds inflicted by the bullet to Anders's head?

6. What goal does Anders have in mind when staring into the eyes of the man with the pistol?

7. What factors lead to the memory from "forty years past" (35) being called up rather than another memory?

8. What is ironic about the mural artist's portrayal of the story of Zeus and Europa?

9. How many years ago had the event at the center of Anders's one witnessed memory taken place?

10. To what question does Anders answer, "No" in Paragraph 20 before he fights to maintain decorum?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the various characterization methods Wolff uses to create characters such as Anders, the man with the pistol, and even Anders’s estranged daughter. How does Wolff’s use of characterization support themes and messages contained within the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the reasons why "Bullet in the Brain" uses an omniscient narrator and a plot that unfolds largely in real time. What elements of the story's themes lend themselves to these choices and what are Wolff’s intended effects on the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze Wolff’s story from an Existential perspective. What elements of life does it suggest hold the most meaning and why?

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