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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 Claire's surname?

2. What are Texlahomans required by law to put on their cars?

3. What kind of car does Dag drive?

4. Who does Dag believe carries a deep secret that can't be shared?

5. Reading a passage from the diaries of which artist inspired Andy to exercise?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the most prized possession of Andy's boss in Japan?

2. In Chapter 1, what example does Andy give of Dag's considerate nature?

3. What does Andy tell us about Claire in Chapter 7?

4. How does Andy describe Palm Springs in Chapter 2?

5. What are the rules for story time among Andy and his friends, and why do they need rules?

6. What does Andy say about his parents' house in Chapter 15?

7. Where are Andy, Dag, and Claire all originally from, and why does Andy say it doesn't matter?

8. In Chapter 12, what does Dag say about Scotty's Junction, Nevada?

9. In Dag's story in Chapter 12, what bothers Otis about the postcard he receives from a friend in New Mexico?

10. In Chapter 14, what is Claire's theory of a "gripping stranger"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the language of the novel. What is the meaning behind the title of the chapters? Discuss the unique language in the novel. How is the language a reflection of the lifestyles and attitudes of the main characters?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the power of friendship in the novel. What are the relationships between the three main characters like?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of storytelling in Generation X. Why is telling stories such an important past-time for these characters? What are some recurring characteristics of the way they tell their stories? What do their stories reveal about them? What are the rules they have set for storytelling?

(see the answer keys)

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