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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 the first question that Little Man has written for Mr. Spiro in Chapter 8?

2. How does Little Man define Ara T's profession?

3. Little Man says in the beginning of Chapter 1, "I'm typing about the stabbing for a good reason." What is the reason that he gives?

4. Who answers the door when Little Man stops by Mrs. Worthington's house to collect two weeks' worth of newspaper payments in Chapter 6?

5. What children's television show does Little Man describe watching in Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are Little Man's first impressions of Mr. Spiro? How is Mr. Spiro described?

2. What does Little Man encounter when he goes to Mrs. Worthington's home for newspaper payment collection in Chapter 6?

3. Who is Ara T? Why does Little Man give his pocket knife to Ara T in Chapter 3?

4. How does Little Man say he is relating the story of the stabbing in Chapter 1? Why is he relating the story in this manner?

5. Why does Little Man refuse Mam's offer for help with his collections for the newspaper route?

6. What is Rat's real name? What is Rat's relationship to Little Man?

7. What is the second "clue" that Mr. Spiro gives to Little Man in Chapter 5? What does Little Man make of the clue?

8. What information does Little Man reveal about himself, his friends, and his family in Chapter 1?

9. What does Little Man discover on his birth certificate in Chapter 7? How does he respond to this information?

10. Why is Little Man's real name not revealed in the beginning of the story? How is he referred to in the text?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Ara T. What role does Ara T play in the narrative (protagonist, antagonist, etc.)? Where is Ara T from? What is his relationship to Little Man?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the autobiographical elements of Paperboy. How does the author describe his own struggles with stuttering? What similarities can be seen between the author and Victor Vollmer?

Essay Topic 3

How does Little Man evolve as a character in the course of the story? What is significant about Little Man telling his mother that he does not like pralines? How does this statement imply growth in Little Man?

(see the answer keys)

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