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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. How do the Hagstroms spend most of their time?

2. Why is Finnerty somewhat depressed?

3. What kind of people join the Army and the public works department?

4. Why does Finnerty take Dr. Proteus's gun?

5. What does Finnerty say at the end of Chapter 4 to make Anita angry?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is unique about the farm that Paul plans to visit in Chapter 14?

2. What is the purpose of the dinner that Dr. Proteus goes to in Chapter 1, and what does he have to do there?

3. How does Anita react when Dr. Proteus tells her about his experience in Homestead?

4. Why does Dr. Proteus bring the cat to Ilium Works, and what happens to it?

5. What is Shepherd doing when Paul shows up late for work, and how does Paul react?

6. What teams are Paul and Shepherd captains of at the Meadows, and what is the status of each team?

7. What does Anita want Paul to do to Shepherd, and why doesn't he do it?

8. Why is Bud Calhoun out of a job?

9. Why does Haycox mock Paul and Dr. Pond?

10. What does Finnerty do when he is allowed to walk around the plant alone?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the end of the novel, the lie detector reveals that Paul's main motivation is that he is angry at his late father. Why is he angry? How has this influenced his choices?

Essay Topic 2

What is the player piano? Why do you think that the author named the novel after it?

Essay Topic 3

Research Kurt Vonnegut's military experience. How do you think these experiences influenced Player Piano?

(see the answer keys)

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