View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the narrator, which word best describes Frank?

2. What type of magazine does the narrator write for in A Thrilling Life?

3. What does Charles tell Meg to rent?

4. Where does the woman in The Feather in the Toque find a photo of her lover's ex-girlfriend?

5. From what perspective is The Knot told?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the title The Man Who Would Not Go Away relevant to the story?

2. Describe Evelyn.

3. In what way is exposure a theme in The Feather in the Toque?

4. How is Ole Siche similar to the story The Swan in the Garden?

5. Why is the title, A Thrilling Life, relevant to the story?

6. Describe the setting in The Feather in the Toque.

7. How is the swan a symbol in The Swan in the Garden?

8. Describe the relationship between the man and the woman in The Feather in the Toque.

9. What are the similarities between The Man Who Would Not Away and A Thrilling Life?

10. What element in The Knot is used to develop characterization?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe three symbols present in the book. Why are these symbols? What do they represent in the context of the story?

Essay Topic 2

What effect does imagery have on a piece of writing? Why might an author use imagery to tell a story? What are some specific instances of effective and ineffective imagery in Minot's stories?

Essay Topic 3

Compare this collection of short stories to an outside piece of literature that you have read, a movie, or a song. What parallels exist between these two pieces? What are the differences between the two pieces?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 737 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample