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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 is the name of the soldier in "Stockings?"

2. How many times does the man let the phone ring as a signal to his wife?

3. The girl receives so many ____ that she begins to collect them.

4. What item does the woman's neighbor borrow?

5. At what time of day did the woman like to weed the garden?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was the man so distraught in "The Paring Knife?"

2. In "Fear: Four Examples," explain the main source of the man's fear regarding his daughter.

3. What realization does the widow come to in regards to her missing husband?

4. Discuss the odd behavior in the town described in "A Chronicler's Sin."

5. Why does Emily feel invisible in "Offerings?" What does Emily do after she collects a large number of apologies?

6. What causes the woman to be upset in "Water?" What does the woman do?

7. Who is "The Philosophical Cobbler?" What is his main concern and goal?

8. Discuss the scene in the restaurant in "Deportation at Breakfast."

9. Vines: Discuss the man's main issue in "Vines" and what he says to his wife. How does the wife respond?

10. Girl: Discuss some of the items that the girl must learn to do in the home.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "Girl," a girl's mother gives her daughter a very long list of things to do and not to do in order to behave like and become a "proper lady." Review each item on the list. Is it applicable to current day standards? Explain. Update the list to remove archaic ideas, update those that need to be changed to reflect modern culture, and add items that are appropriate today.

Essay Topic 2

"Flash Fiction: Very Short Stories by James Thomas" contains many stories by many different authors. The only criterion is that the story must meet a certain word count, typically around 750 but no more than 1,000. Examine any common threads that are found within the collection. Are there any similar trains of thought, style or format? Review each story with those things in mind and make a list of connecting ties.

Essay Topic 3

A 70-year-old woman copes with living alone in "Widow." Examine the woman's grief and remorse due to the loss of her husband. Also examine the woman's new-found sense of freedom and how she copes with the emptiness of her house and lack of rules.

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This section contains 958 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample