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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. Why can the narrator not return to fairyland?

2. What is weird about Miss Finch in the ninth room?

3. In 'October in the Chair,' who tells the first story?

4. What does the woman from the bar say happened to a young man in New Orleans?

5. Whom does the narrator meet at a motel, and offer to give a ride to?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe how the detective solves the mystery in 'A Study in Emerald.'

2. Describe the character of Miss Finch.

3. In your opinion, what was Miss Finch's wish? Was it granted by the cabinet?

4. Describe the character of Mr. Alice.

5. Is the playhouse evil or magical, or was it just the narrator's imagination?

6. Describe the steps that lead up to the narrator taking the professor's identity.

7. In what ways could 'Good Boys Deserve Favors' be considered a coming of age story?

8. In the poem 'The Hidden Chamber,' is there anything that is actually hidden?

9. Why is November upset at the end of the story, and how does October cheer him up?

10. Who tells the story about the playhouse in 'Closing Time,' and what evidence is there that this person is the storyteller?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss characterization in two of the stories or poems in the collection. How has the author communicated what the characters are like, and how does he create sympathy for them? Do the characters act consistently? Do they seem like real people?

Essay Topic 2

The author often uses storytelling with first person narrators to tell his stories and poems. In which stories and poems does he do this, and why? What effect does this create? How does it complement the story that is being told?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of reality and fiction in these stories and poems. What are the differences between real life and stories? Why does the author keep returning to this theme?

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