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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 does Sedaris admit to feeling for America?

2. One glaring difference Sedaris notices between watching movies in the U.S and watching them in Paris is

3. Sedaris finds that most of the people in class share the belief that

4. Unlike American theaters, French theaters

5. The Texans on the Metro do not make room for the growing crowd because

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sedaris do to help himself sleep at night when various beverages fail him?

2. Describe the Easter celebration the Sedaris family held each year.

3. What does Sedaris notice about Americans while living in France?

4. Why does the barber refuse to believe Jodi Foster would clean up after her own dog while walking on the beach?

5. While watching the girl dangle from a broken ride at the Paris street fair, what is Sedaris most concerned about?

6. What gives Sedaris a new confidence about speaking French?

7. Why does Sedaris claim Americans believe French people are arrogant?

8. How has Sedaris' childhood been different from Hugh's?

9. In the end, what does the class discussion on Easter lead Sedaris to conclude?

10. Why is Reggie so indignant about his job on the construction site clean-up crew?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Considering Sedaris' use of humor when writing about himself or people in general. Evaluate the effect of his humor on the essays you have read. Then write an essay of your own in which you determine how successful Sedaris' use of humor is in conveying the themes of his pieces. Use specific examples from the text to support your point.

Essay Topic 2

Comedian George Carlin once said, ""When you're born, you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front row seat." Write an essay in which you identify Sedaris' attitude toward the freakish qualities of Americans. Be sure to use specific examples from the text to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

Many of Sedaris' essays revolve around experiences with his parents. Considering Sedaris' descriptions of these experiences and his characterization of his parents, write an essay in which you evaluate their success in raising children. Use specific examples of Sedaris' childhood, and his parents' interaction with his siblings and himself, as support for your argument.

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