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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 chef cooking when he is arrested?

2. What is the first name of "The Philosophical Cobbler?

3. How long had the couple been married in "The Haircut?"

4. What does a cobbler do?

5. Who interviews the widow?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Here's Another Ending," discuss the actions of the owners of the dog and how they try to trick a neighbor.

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

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

4. In "Corners," what are the sisters doing at the beginning of the story? What upsets Jessie so much that she runs outside?

5. What happens when Louise finds Teddy on the floor in "Teddy's Canary?"

6. Discuss what might happen after the owner finds the dead rabbit in "Here's Another Ending."

7. What does Henry Dobbins use as a way of protecting himself while at war? What happens that might change the talisman?

8. What is the thing that seems to bother the woman most in "The Haircut?"

9. What happens to the babies in "The Parents?"

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

In "Ponderosa," Jimmy is unhappy. Jimmy has been cheating on his wife although he denies it to his wife and father, who is a minister. The father tries to talk to Jimmy, but to no avail. Through an accident, Jimmy has half of his jaw shot off. The father sees it as divine intervention. Discuss Jimmy's predicament. Why does Jimmy continue to see his mistress if he is unhappy? What kind of upbringing did Jimmy have as the son of a minister? Does the father really believe that Jimmy's "accident" was divine intervention? Does Jimmy believe it? How does the accident affect Jimmy's life? Discuss the story from both sides. Also discuss what might have happened if Jimmy had not been shot.

Essay Topic 3

In "The Restraints," a girl is taken to a tavern by her father. Discuss in detail the psychological implications of the father's actions. Does the father know what he is doing is wrong? How does it affect the girl as a small child? In what ways does the girl suffer? How do other people see the girl? Can the man's actions be construed as child abuse? Define child abuse and relate it to the story.

(see the answer keys)

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