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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. Where does the title "Pussytoes" come from?

2. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," what does Sedaris see on the floor at Charlotte Douglas International Airport?

3. In "A Better Place," what is Sedaris implying when he comments about the long lives of Dick Cheney, Henry Kissinger, and Rupert Murdoch?

4. In "Lady Marmalade," what new role does Lou take on once all of his children have moved out?

5. In "The Vacuum," what does Sedaris say is the only thing he was able to successfully hoard?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Lady Marmalade," what reasons do the Sedaris siblings have for being skeptical of Tiffany's claims that Lou sexually abused her?

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

3. What sentiment does Sedaris close the essay "The Vacuum" with, and what example does he give?

4. In "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what examples of his own unconscious racism does Sedaris give?

5. In "Pussytoes," what perspective shift does Sedaris use as he describes sitting at Lou's bedside, and what impact does this have on the reader?

6. When describing protests in "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what two examples of White participants' vandalism does Sedaris give, and how do Black bystanders react?

7. In "Pussytoes," what is Sedaris's reaction to his father's "Little Black Book"?

8. In "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what does a Jewish acquaintance point out to Sedaris about his proposed solutions for Confederate monuments?

9. What is the rhetorical function of opening "The Vacuum" with the description of the supermarket near Sedaris's apartment?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the structure of "Active Shooter" contribute to the essay's tone and meaning? Write an essay in which you consider how Sedaris manipulates the flow of time to create emphasis, to develop his argument, and to create juxtapositions with differing tones. Develop your analysis with clear reasoning and supportive detail from the essay itself.

Essay Topic 2

You have read several essay about Lou Sedaris and his children's relationship with him. One element that recurs over and over is the guitar that was Sedaris's in childhood and that ended up in Lou's room at Springmoor. Consider the symbolic power of this object. Why does Sedaris mention it again and again? Why is its provenance important? What does it seem to mean to Lou? What are Sedaris's various reactions to the guitar in the different essays in which it is mentioned? What does this guitar convey about Sedaris and his father's relationship and how that relationship changed over the years? How does Lou's unfulfilled desire to learn to play the guitar contribute to the reader's understanding of how the relationship between Sedaris and his father was left when Lou died? Write an essay that analyzes the symbolic meaning of this guitar. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the collection.

Essay Topic 3

What is the meaning behind the anthology's title? Consider the content of the essay of the same name and how it relates to other essays in the collection. Consider how the title sums up a larger idea in this collection--earnestly or ironically. Also think about the reversed title in the essay's final collection. What is the point of reversing this title, and how does this choice add to your understanding of Sedaris's choice of Happy-Go-Lucky for the entire collection? Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about Sedaris's choice of title for this anthology of essays. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the collection.

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