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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. Approximately how long was Hamper's father gone?

2. How did Hamper's maternal grandfather live?

3. Who did Denny and Hamper listen to during their one elusively magical lunch break (pg 58)?

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

5. Why was Hamper reinstated as a student in the school?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. 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?

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

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

6. 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?

7. 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?

8. 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?

9. 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?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How was Hamper involved in writing throughout the course of his life? How did his attitude toward it change?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

"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?

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