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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 did Hamper like spending time at Joanie's house?

2. How many children did Hamper's parents have?

3. Why did Hamper's dad yell at him for his bad grades?

4. Why did Jack take a sledgehammer to the cigarette machine?

5. What was the most unusual thing about Bob-A-Lou?

Short Essay Questions

1. "I'm thinking that rock stars, even dead ones, don't come cheap" (pg xix). In the context of the Prologue, what does this quote mean?

2. Who were Lightnin' and Same-O? What did their lives say about Hamper's future?

3. Hamper's father, though not a model of determination or reliability, often berated his son because of his poor grades. How did his cursing set the tone of their conversations about school?

4. What promises did the Plant Manager make during the factory meeting? How did Hamper's retelling of the speech change its tone?

5. How did Hamper's stories about life after high school reveal the time period in which they were written? What clues did he give by telling how much things cost?

6. 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?

7. 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?

8. How does Hamper describe the Cab Shop the first time he goes there? What about the description is the most informative about the scene?

9. 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?

10. When did the GM assembly line begin to look like an attractive option to Hamper? How did this demonstrate a change in Hamper's thinking?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Layin' back is a fine reward when you're employed. However, layin' back tends to wear thin when it itself becomes your job. Gettin' loaded, readin' magazines, staring at the television becomes a rut rather than any form of relaxation" (pg 83). How is this true? What part did unemployment play in Hamper's life? How did it change his opinion about working?

Essay Topic 2

What is the effect of Hamper's family tree as the reader moves through the book? Why would he give such detail about his extended family work history?

Essay Topic 3

What makes a good autobiography? Does Hamper's book fulfill those requirements? What are the pros and cons of a fictionalized life compared to an autobiography?

(see the answer keys)

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