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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 is on the floor in the hall after the tumble-barrel room?

2. Why does Ambrose walk on Magda’s right side when they are on the boardwalk?

3. What does Ambrose see under the boardwalk?

4. Where does the family always stop for lunch on the way to Ocean City?

5. Why can’t they locate Ambrose in the funhouse?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Ambrose imagine his father saying to him about getting through the Funhouse?

2. Describe Uncle Karl and Peter.

3. What does Uncle Karl say will change the holiday for the family this year and why has this occured?

4. What does Ambrose imagine about his son and what he might say to the boy?

5. What has Ambrose realized about winning the traditional game, and at what age does he understand this tactic?

6. What church does Ambrose’s family belong to, and why is Ambrose different from most other children in the church? Why did it happen?

7. What does the narrator say is the function of the beginning of a story?

8. What does Ambrose’s mother give the three teenagers when they reach the boardwalk, and what does she say to them and why?

9. What does Ambrose do because he is so nervous about going in the Funhouse with Magda and what does the ticket woman say to Magda?

10. What advertises the funhouse that the family stares at, and what does Peter suggests when they are looking at it? What does Ambrose suggest?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Characters are an integral and important part of almost all short stories.

Compare/contrast the characters of Ambrose and Peter. How are they similar? How are they different? Is there a flaw in each of their personalities? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Be specific and give examples. How do they seem different? Which do you like more? Why? Which one seems more of a well-rounded character?

Essay Topic 2

Ambrose is in love with Magda, but is reluctant to make his feelings known.

Discuss at least three situations in Lost in the Funhouse that is directly affected by, or is the result of, Ambrose believing he is in love with Magda and how his feelings relate to those situations. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

When Ambrose is below the boardwalk he hears his family laughing above him. The narrator comments that if Ambrose was not old enough or smart enough to understand the joke he could have said: “The laughter was over his head.” Discuss what the author is attempting to do by including this commentary by the narrator about wordplay.

(see the answer keys)

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