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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 "Pearls," what does Sedaris call the "first step to divorce" (156)?

2. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," how old does Lou claim to be?

3. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," when is Sedaris finally able to go back to touring?

4. In "Pearls," what instrument does Hugh take up?

5. In "A Better Place," what specific rhetorical technique does Sedaris complain about?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "A Better Place," what is the rhetorical purpose of describing Lou's grave site in such detail?

2. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what two examples does Sedaris give of his father's tendency to exaggerate?

3. What literal and figurative meanings does Sedaris convey with the title "Pearls"?

4. In "Smile, Beautiful," what does Sedaris share about the conditions under which he can be generous?

5. In "Lady Marmalade," what conclusion does Sedaris draw about Lou's motivations for his behavior toward his children's bodies?

6. In "Pussytoes," what happens when Sedaris calls Gretchen about their father's death?

7. In "Pearls," how does the purchase of the second apartment illustrate one of Sedaris's main ideas about successful relationships?

8. In "Lady Marmalade," what anecdote does Sedaris share about his father's photography and his sister Lisa?

9. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," what does Sedaris say about using Hugh as a test audience for his writing?

10. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," what does Sedaris start asking all of the teenagers at his readings, and what is his reaction to the responses he gets?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Early in studying this anthology, you considered how Sedaris's writing might affect his boyfriend, Hugh Hamrick, and how it might impact the reputation of his father and his siblings' feelings about their father. Now that you have read Sedaris's essay about his sister Tiffany's suicide, think back to the standards you personally believe a writer should follow in prioritizing their art versus the privacy and feelings of others. Do some online research into the controversy surrounding Sedaris's treatment of Tiffany's suicide, and develop an opinion about whether his discussions of her in Happy-Go-Lucky meet or violate your standards. Write an essay that analyzes the ethics of the essay "Lady Marmalade" and of other mentions of Tiffany throughout Happy-Go-Lucky. Draw your evidence from both Sedaris's writing and from online sources discussing others' reception of his remarks about his sister. Cite all sources in MLA format.

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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