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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. Sedaris compares Sallie Mae to a __________.

2. Joceylyn Dunbar compares Khe Sahn to what?

3. What is the name of Jackelyn Dunbar's husband?

4. Where does Kevin Dunbar go to college?

5. Sedaris likes to tell customers at SantaLand that their pictures will arrive in ________.

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Who is Khe Sahn in "Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!"?

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

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

5. Why does David decide to boycott Christmas while working at the cafeteria?

6. What happens when Sedaris goes to work at SantaLand on Christmas Eve?

7. What does Sedaris come to realize as increasing numbers of customers go through the line at Piccadilly cafeteria?

8. What happens the day that Jocelyn asks Khe Sahn to watch baby Don?

9. How does Jocelyn Dunbar treat Khe Sahn?

10. What does Sedaris have to go through to be hired at SantaLand?

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

What is the nature of David's relationship with his sister Lisa? What purpose does her character serve in the story "Dinah, the Christmas Whore"?

Essay Topic 3

What is the irony of SantaLand? What does "SantaLand Diaries" illustrate about the modern American Christmas season?

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