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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. Where does "Black Ass at the Cross Roads" take place?

2. What is called the opium of the people in "The Gambler, The Nun, and the Radio"?

3. How does the narrator of "A Natural History of the Dead" describe death?

4. Where are Robert and Helena traveling in "The Strange Country"?

5. What does Nick say is very important for a son to do in "Fathers and Sons"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Nick think about while he is driving with his son?

2. What does Littless do when she runs away with Nick in "The Last Good Country"?

3. What do the Fontans make in secret, and why is it so secret?

4. What is the woman writing to the medical column about in "One Reader Writes"?

5. How is Blindy blinded?

6. What does the good lion do when he is mocked for his strange eating habits?

7. What secret does Helena tell Robert after she drinks absinthe?

8. What causes an attack on the house Edwin is living in in "Landscape with Figures"?

9. What happens to the faithful bull when he is set out to breed?

10. What happens when Harry and Wesley meet Captain Willie?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Protection is a strong theme in these stories. Where does this theme appear, and which characters are most affected by the presence of this theme?

Essay Topic 2

Despair was an emotion that affected a number of the characters in these stories. Which characters are most affected by despair, and how does this change the course of the plots they are involved in?

Essay Topic 3

Death is an integral part of a number of these stories. What are some of the most significant instances of death, and how does it change the course of the plot in these stories?

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This section contains 663 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample