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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 is Sedaris's first job at SantaLand?

2. According to Sedaris, Sallie Mae is located where?

3. As Sedaris works at the cafeteria, what is he searching for in life?

4. What is Kevin Dunbar majoring in at college?

5. How long does it take the police to get the Dunbars home after Jocelyn calls them?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the premise of "Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!"?

2. What happens while the Sedaris family is eating dinner to celebrate Lisa's eighteenth birthday?

3. What is the decor of the Piccadilly Cafeteria like?

4. What is the best experience that Sedaris has while working at SantaLand?

5. What does Joceyln Dunbar have to say about her neighbor Cherise Clarmont-Shea?

6. What does David think about while he washes dishes at the cafeteria?

7. Where do David and Lisa Sedaris get jobs at their father's urging to gain after school employment?

8. What happens when Lisa drags David to a house in a poor neighborhood?

9. What are some of the experiences Sedaris has with the adults who visit SantaLand?

10. What is David's opinion of his sister Lisa?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the characters of The Walrus and the Santa who never goes out of character in the story "SantaLand Diaries." How do these characters represent the paradox of the commercial Christmas?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of misguided expectations and how it resonates throughout the book.

Essay Topic 3

What qualities does Jocelyn Dunbar embody both as a character and as a narrator of the story? What makes her a reliable or unreliable narrator?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 836 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample