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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. Who narrates the story entitled "Mr. Harrigan's Phone"?

2. How much distance lay between the houses of Mr. Harrigan and Craig throughout his childhood?

3. What is the last name of Marty, the protagonist featured in the first section of Act III: Thanks, Chuck! of the story "The Life of Chuck"?

4. What sort of business transaction is Chuck conducting during the week he spends in the setting featured in Act II: Buskers?

5. In honor of which holiday did Craig receive a winning lottery ticket from Mr. Harrigan?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are the first two sections of Act III: Thanks, Chuck! different from the final three in the story "The Life of Chuck"?

2. Who is Janice Halliday and in what way is she linked to the art of dance and movement?

3. In what way does King use the narrative of Act II: Buskers in "The Life of Chuck" to remind readers to keep open minds about others?

4. What preference does Craig set forth in the final sentence of the story in relation to his inevitable death?

5. Describe the protagonist at the center of Act III: Thanks, Chuck! in the short story entitled "The Life of Chuck."

6. Who was Ms. Hargensen?

7. What did Craig do with his iPhone 1 and what did the act symbolize?

8. Which parts of The Retros' live concerts were Chuck's favorites in his youth and why?

9. What prompted Craig to call Mr. Harrigan's iPhone for the first time after his death?

10. In what way do the events of Act II: Buskers echo back to details the reader already knows about Chuck?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Look carefully at the passages of If It Bleeds that describe strong marriage partnerships, such as the longtime union between Chuck's grandparents. What is King’s purpose for extensively portraying the characteristics of a strong marriage and its power to transform?

Essay Topic 2

How is the theme of hypocrisy treated within King’s text and with which of the collection’s stories does the theme most closely connect?

Essay Topic 3

In what way does King utilize irony within the text? Discuss at least three uses of irony within If It Bleeds and explore each instance's connection to larger themes contained within the piece.

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