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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. Why did Hamper never beat his dad up when he was being lectured?
(a) His mom was always there to make sure they did not hit each other.
(b) He tried but his dad beat him up instead.
(c) He was often on acid and just laughed at his dad.
(d) He was too scared.

2. What day was Hamper finally called in to work at the car factory?
(a) Thursday.
(b) Sunday.
(c) Saturday.
(d) Monday.

3. Why did Hamper's dad yell at him for his bad grades?
(a) He wanted his son to avoid the life of a factory worker.
(b) He cared about achieving more and looking better than the neighbors.
(c) Education was important to him.
(d) He wanted his wife to be proud of all their kids.

4. Who did Denny and Hamper listen to during their one elusively magical lunch break (pg 58)?
(a) Sister Edward Irene.
(b) The Eagles.
(c) Lynyrd Skynyrd.
(d) Lesley Gore.

5. During the pre-work physical, what did Hamper do against his better judgment?
(a) Asked for the nurse's phone number.
(b) Lied about his medical history.
(c) Sold his urine to the man ahead of him in line.
(d) Pretended to be sick so he would have another week of freedom.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was Hamper expelled from his Catholic high school?

2. What was the name of Hamper's first supervisor?

3. What music did Hamper and his coworkers listen to at work?

4. What did Franklin write on napkins and bits of paper?

5. When a would-be employee arrived late and was rejected, what did he do?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. At the end of Chapter 1, what did Hamper reveal about his hopes for the future? What insight did he show about the past?

3. What system did Dale and Hamper rig up at work? How did this again change Hamper's attitude toward his job?

4. What religious background did Hamper have during his childhood? How did religion shape his move into adulthood?

5. What did Hamper say about his younger siblings? How did this give the reader another glimpse of family life?

6. What story does Hamper tell involving Lesley Gore's music? How does this story show that Hamper, if only for an hour and twelve minutes, transcended the shop-rat mindset?

7. How did Hamper begin to construct his life after high school? How was he alone and yet not alone during this time?

8. When Hamper tells the story of people who disagree with the shop-rats' drinking, he writes much of the story in capital letters. What literary effect does this visual change have on the story?

9. 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?

10. What do Hamper's stories about high school revolve around? How does this show that he was giving in to the nuns' perception of him that began in junior high?

(see the answer keys)

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