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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 did Hamper do when people criticized him for drinking on the job?

2. Why did Hamper's dad often denounce African-Americans?

3. How long was Hamper given to learn his job?

4. During the pre-work physical, what did Hamper do against his better judgment?

5. What happened when Hamper was called in to see the guidance counselor at school?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. 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?

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

4. 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?

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

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

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

8. 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?

9. To what does Hamper attribute his success at the beginning of high school? How does this fit into his plans for his life?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 5, Hamper recounts the behaviors and antics of several of his coworkers. What makes these stories funny? How does Hamper choose words and phrases to emphasize the humor of the stories?

Essay Topic 2

What is the significance in Hamper's descriptions of his parents? He never says "Mom" or "Dad," only "my mother" or "my father." What unusual formality does this lend to his story?

Essay Topic 3

Who was Gino Donlan? Why did Hamper like him and why was he different from many other people in his same position? To answer this, you should compare him to other supervisors in the plant.

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