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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 "Middleman," how long does Joshua help Elsa before she tells him to stop?

2. Why do the narrator and his wife move carefully in Nicholas' apartment in "In the Basement"?

3. In "Middleman," what does Joshua think of Elsa's acting skills the first time she performs for him?

4. In "In the Basement," what does Nicholas say Lisa did with her narrative writing?

5. At the end of "In the Basement" what does the narrator think about himself?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "In the Basement," how does Nicholas describe Lisa's lifestyle?

2. At the end of "In the Basement," how does the narrator feel?

3. How does Caleb try to mend his relationship with Kevin in "When in Rome"?

4. In what was are Caleb and Kevin different in "When in Rome"?

5. How does the narrator of "In the Basement" feel about Nicholas' relationship with Maria?

6. In "In the Basement," what history does the narrator give about Nicholas and Maria's relationship?

7. Why do Nicholas and Maria tell the narrator and his wife about Lisa in "In the Basement"?

8. In "When in Rome," how do Caleb and Kevin react to being mugged?

9. In "In the Basement," what is kept in a basement?

10. In "When in Rome," why does Caleb tell the story about visiting his brother in California?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze family as a reoccurring topic and theme in this collection. What role does family play in the individual stories? What is the commentary presented about this topic?

Essay Topic 2

The stories in this collection are narrated by both first and third person narrators. Examine the use of both styles of narration. Why does the author use each when he does? What purpose does each style of narration have? What are the strengths and weaknesses of both styles in this collection?

Essay Topic 3

The entertainment business acts as a character itself in a few of the stories in this book. Analyze the role of the entertainment business in each of these stories. How does this further the plot, character and theme development? What message is delivered about the entertainment business?

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