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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 "Bruised," what aspect of his identity makes Sedaris afraid that people will not believe him if Olivier tells lies about his behavior?

2. In "Bruised," what word does Sedaris use to describe Hugh's farmhouse?

3. In "Themes and Variations," which person that he encounters during his tour does Sedaris say might be the only one who really "sees" him?

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

5. In "Hurricane Season," where does Sedaris get the idea for the name he wants to call the rental house?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "A Speech to the Graduates," how does Sedaris describe his own college experience?

2. In "Hurricane Season," how does the example of the neighbor's "shocking" outdoor shower undermine the point Sedaris has just made about renters?

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

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

5. In "Father Time," how does Sedaris's description of Mayview connect the essay's motif of the inevitable march of time with his concerns about fatherhood?

6. In "Active Shooter," how is Lisa's concern about what she saw at Starbucks used as the basis for a joke later in the essay?

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

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

9. In "Active Shooter," how does Lisa explain to the instructor and to Sedaris her desire to take a gun-safety course?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

In "The Vacuum," Sedaris is defensive about being called "tone deaf and elitist" during the Covid-19 pandemic (149). Consider Happy-Go-Lucky as a whole. What elements of Sedaris's writing seem to support this charge? What elements argue against it? Does Sedaris seem aware of and compassionate towards the concerns of ordinary people, or does he seem somewhat self-involved and callous? Write an essay in which you take and defend a position about whether Sedaris is or is not indifferent to the suffering of others. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the anthology.

Essay Topic 3

"Unbuttoned" is just one of the essays in Happy-Go-Lucky that focuses attention on how Sedaris's relationship with his father shaped him. Consider the various essays in the collection that discuss Sedaris's relationship with his father and what they convey about the complexity of that relationship. What are the claims that Sedaris seems to be making about his father? How do the differing reactions of his siblings support or undermine his claims? How might differing expectations about the presentation of masculinity be a factor in Sedaris's relationship with his father? How do the events in "Unbuttoned" feel like an important shift in Sedaris's relationship with Lou? Do his essays that were written after this time period reflect that a real change has taken place? Write an essay that takes and defends a position about the impact on David Sedaris of being raised by Lou Sedaris and then watching this man decline into old age and death. Support your claims with evidence from throughout the text.

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