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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. What was John Robison's reaction when his parents fought?

2. Where did John's family move after his father got tenure?

3. What did John learn to distinguish appropriate reactions from?

4. Who is Chuckie?

5. What does John say he preferred?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does John say he does to avoid his parents' troubles?

2. How did John get to know Ace Frehley?

3. Describe the beginning of John's career in electronics.

4. Describe the deterioration of John's parents' marriage in chapter 7,

5. Describe the prank John played on his mother.

6. What was inappropriate about John's smiling at his mother's friend Betsy's news?

7. Describe John's habit of digging holes.

8. Describe John's relation with Chris.

9. Describe John's parents' strange behavior.

10. Describe John's work as a sound engineer.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the humorous tone John Robison takes throughout his memoir? What does he gain, by it? What does he lose?

Essay Topic 2

Debate the proposition that John is often making fun of himself throughout his memoir.

Essay Topic 3

How trustworthy is John Robison as a narrator? Do you believe what he says, or would you expect the facts to come out differently, if someone ever wrote a biography of him?

(see the answer keys)

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