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

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

3. How much sleep did Dale typically get in a night?

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

5. How was Hamper's new high school significantly different from his old one?

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. "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?

3. 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?

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

5. Who or what was Hamper's greatest enemy at work? How did he use his new attitude about work to combat the enemy?

6. What role did Hamper's mother play in his life?

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

9. How was Hamper's father an anomaly among fathers? Even at a young age, what was Hamper's opinion of him? How might this affect his own development in the future?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When did Hamper's job as a riveter because an identity as the Rivethead? How did he live out this identity? What impact did it have for his future?

Essay Topic 2

What effect did unemployment have on Flint? What happened when much of the population was unemployed and why? What do you think the mood of the town was?

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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