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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. According to Hamper's theory, why did the shop-rats listen to that kind of music?
(a) It's the music they grew up with.
(b) It's the music their fathers always listened to.
(c) It's redundant and predictable like their work.
(d) It's the only station their radio can pick up.

2. At the beginning of Chapter Three, what reason did Hamper give that Joanie was unhappy in their marriage?
(a) She wanted more children.
(b) She wanted a different job.
(c) They were not going anywhere in life.
(d) They lived in a bad neighborhood and Hamper did not care.

3. Why did Jack take a sledgehammer to the cigarette machine?
(a) He was pretending the machine was the plant manager.
(b) He thought the broken machine was a GM conspiracy.
(c) The machine had eaten his money.
(d) He wanted to take his anger out on something.

4. When Hamper's dad left, what was the only information his family had?
(a) That he planned to be back before Christmas.
(b) That he took the last can of beer with him.
(c) That he was headed for Indiana.
(d) That he was somewhere in southern Florida with a bartender.

5. Why did GM not hire Hamper when he wanted to apply?
(a) He had to be twenty-one to work there.
(b) During the recession, the factory wasn't hiring.
(c) They did not want to hire any more Hampers.
(d) He did not have good job references.

Short Answer Questions

1. Approximately how long was Hamper's father gone?

2. At the end of Chapter Four, where was Hamper writing the book?

3. Why did absenteeism increase greatly on Fridays?

4. What was the job Hamper first wanted to have?

5. What machine did Hamper operate in the Cab Shop?

Short Essay Questions

1. At the end of Chapter 4, Hamper reveals his place in the present time and lets the reader know that the events took place some nine years before he wrote about them. What effect does this have on the reader's perception of the book?

2. How is Hamper's portrayal of his mother pathetic at times? Is it a fair character description?

3. Hamper ends Chapter 3 with the sentence, "The money was right, even if we weren't" (pg 43). What does this mean?

4. What stories does Hamper tell about Dan-O? What do these stories add to the reader's impression of the factory?

5. Hamper said that Same-O was quite likely the only genius he ever met at the General Motors factory (pg 66). Why did he say this?

6. What is Hamper's first exposure to the true culture of the Cab Shop? How did this dramatically change his attitude toward work?

7. How did Hamper justify his drinking at work? What was his opinion about the people who disapproved of factory workers drinking at work, and is this opinion fair?

8. What pattern emerged in junior-high that led Hamper to consider the life of a shop-rat? How did he begin to identify with his family who had worked in the factory?

9. How did poetry temporarily draw Hamper out of his slide toward the factory? How might this have paved the way for more writing in the future?

10. How did Hamper's marriage to Joanie end? Given his tone in the writing, what do you think his attitude was during this time?

(see the answer keys)

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