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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. In "Themes and Variations," what two topics does Sedaris note seem to overlap in many jokes?

2. In "To Serbia with Love," what irritates Sedaris about his driver in Lisbon?

3. In "Highfalutin," whose poor behavior with service staff does Sedaris say inspired him to be extra warm and friendly?

4. What is ironic about Lisa turning out to be the better shooter?

5. What family event are the Sedarises anticipating when Lou first falls and has to be hospitalized?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Themes and Variations," what kinds of people does Sedaris resist giving money to?

2. In "Hurricane Season," what contrast does Sedaris explore between his reception of Hugh's criticisms of his family and his family's criticisms of Hugh?

3. In "Themes and Variations," what does Sedaris discover about women, and how does he discover it?

4. In "Themes and Variations," what experience does Sedaris say shaped his desire to interact warmly with his fans?

5. What decision did Lou make about his will that upset Sedaris, and why was it so upsetting?

6. In "Active Shooter," what contrast does Sedaris see between the drills he recalls in his own elementary school and the ones being practiced today?

7. Describe the condition of Lou's house when the Sedaris siblings go to start clearing it out In "Unbuttoned."

8. In "Bruised," what "secret" does Sedaris believe Olivier has discovered, and why does he guess that Olivier is struggling to accept his new knowledge?

9. In "Father Time," what does Sedaris tell Harrison and Austen about whom they should try to be more like, and why?

10. In "Highfalutin," how does Sedaris describe Amy's writing and acting?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sedaris has given several interviews offering advice about how to write humorous essays. Go online and find one of the articles where he offers such advice. Then, write an essay in which you summarize the advice he gives and apply it to one of the essays in this collection (any essay except "Smile, Beautiful"). Do all of the pieces of advice seem to apply to your chosen essay? Which ones are deployed most effectively in this essay? Why are they so effective? Consider questions like these as you explicate the humor in the essay and compare it to the advice Sedaris gives in the article you have chosen. Offer both quoted and paraphrased evidence from both the article and the essay in support of your observations, and cite all sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

In "A Speech to the Graduates," Sedaris explicitly offers advice to younger people. But this is not the only place in Happy-Go-Lucky where he offers advice in one form or another. Choose one of the pieces of advice from "A Speech to the Graduates" and show how this advice is echoed in other essays in the collection. You might show how Sedaris enacts this advice in his own life, how he offers this advice to readers through editorializing, and/or how he explicitly offers this advice to other people he interacts with. As you choose which piece of advice to trace through the collection, be mindful not to interpret the advice too narrowly. For instance, in "A Speech to the Graduates," Sedaris offers advice about scented candles--but of course, what he is saying at a deeper level is to consider yourself worthy of an investment in quality items and experiences.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one essay from Happy-Go-Lucky and write an analysis of the truth value of its claims. Explain which details are likely to be factually accurate and why, and why other details are less likely to be factually accurate. Offer an analysis of whether this balance impacts the essay's meaning and value to a reader. You may decide that the essay is more accurate than not, or that it is riddled with fictionalized details--and in either case you may argue that the balance between factually accurate truth and fictionalized truth creates a negative or positive impact on the essay's value. Develop your analysis with clear reasoning and supportive detail from the essay itself.

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