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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 "Father Time," what does Sedaris say is "unbearable" in children (26)?

2. What comedian also named "David" do the nurses confuse Sedaris with in "Father Time"?

3. In "A Speech to the Graduates," what does Sedaris say causes the resiliency of people in their early twenties?

4. In "Highfalutin," what is Sedaris insulted at being mistaken for?

5. In "A Speech to the Graduates," what does Sedaris say might prevent today's young people from enjoying a period of independence and exploration?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In "Highfalutin," how does Sedaris say his adult experience in front of cameras reflects his role in the childhood game he played with Amy?

4. In "A Speech to the Graduates," what anecdote does Sedaris tell about the woman at the book-signing event, and what is this anecdote's rhetorical function?

5. In "Highfalutin," what two things does Amy do while she and Sedaris are shopping that he finds funny but also mortifying?

6. In "Active Shooter," what is the rhetorical purpose of the anecdote about Lisa believing a story she read in The Onion?

7. 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?

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

9. In "To Serbia with Love," what criticism does Sedaris level against the American tourists Patsy deals with in Paris?

10. In "To Serbia with Love," how does Sedaris describe the flea markets that he and Patsy visit in Eastern Europe?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that explores the irony of Sedaris's comments about American tourists in Paris in "To Serbia with Love." Consider his beliefs about Paris and why it bothers him that Americans fail to appreciate the city on its own terms. Think about his travels with Patsy and the ways in which he uses these as fodder to entertain Western readers. Finally, reread his brief commentary about Western privilege at the end of the essay and consider how his essay illustrates a kind of blindness that results from Western privilege. Are there non-material forms of "poverty" that can arise from living in conditions of relative material wealth? Support your arguments with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from throughout the essay.

Essay Topic 2

You have given some thought to what kinds of structural and focal choices are effective in conveying serious social ideas in a brief format like Sedaris's essays. But do these rules hold true when the subject matter is more personal or more lighthearted? Choose one of the essays from this collection that is about a topic that is either personal to Sedaris--such as one of the essays about his father or Hugh--or that is generally less serious--such as one of the essays about Amy or Sedaris's own failings. Write an essay that analyzes the structure and focus of the essay and then evaluates whether these choices are effective, and why. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the essay.

Essay Topic 3

In "Happy-Go-Lucky," Sedaris reflects on how his father has changed over time and how he, too, might change as a result of his father's death. This essay gives the entire anthology its name--does it unite the anthology in another sense, as well? What other essays in this collection show how Sedaris has changed over time? What hopes does he seem to have for how he might continue to grow and change? Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about how the idea of personal growth and change permeates this collection. Your essay should not simply point to places where this motif occurs but should make observations about its meaning--what, specifically, does Sedaris seek to convey about his own identity and its change through time? Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the collection.

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