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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. Why is Bruce's contract with ABC terminated in "Lenny Bruce: The Making of a Sitcom"?

2. Whose fingerprints are exchanged with the Devil's in "The Devil and William Gates"?

3. What stressors does Hitler claim he dealt with while in school in "Adolf Hitler: the Larry King Interview"?

4. What was Captain Crunch accused of doing when he was a strong leader in "The Cult"?

5. How does Stewart try to commit suicide in "The Cult"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What irony is found in "The Recipe"?

2. What message is Stewart trying to communicate in "Five Under Five"?

3. What does Jon Stewart imagine himself to be in "The Cult"?

4. Which child on the "Five Under Five" list do you find most interesting?

5. Describe the relationship between Vincent and his brother, Theo, as described in "Vincent and Theo on AOL."

6. Do you find the final short story amusing? Why or why not?

7. What collection of genes makes up Cary Streisand of the "Five Under Five" list?

8. Why does Stewart create a fake persona to pretend to be Vincent van Gogh on AOL?

9. What does Sheldon discover when he reaches his high school reunion in "Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold"?

10. What sort of people are involved in "The Recipe"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is Stewart's collection of stories ultimately resolved? Do you think the resolution was adequate? In your opinion, what could have been added (or removed) to make it more meaningful?

Essay Topic 2

How does the narrative point of view carried through all of Stewart's short stories in this book affect the way characters are perceived by the reader? Choose three examples from Stewart's short stories to show how this third-party point of view impacts the work.

Essay Topic 3

Humor is an important aspect of Stewart's work. How is this technique used to tell the story of the Ford tapes? What does humor contribute to the effect of Stewart's work on readers? How does he incorporate it into the greater work?

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