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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. When Hamper had to go into corporate offices to request Alex's visitor pass, why was he nervous?

2. Who did Bob-A-Lou marry?

3. At the beginning of the Epilogue, what sport was Hamper playing?

4. What nearby bar did Hamper and his coworkers often go to after work?

5. How did Hamper's supervisor feel when he needed to leave work early because of his breakdown?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why were Moore and Hamper summoned to appear in court? How does this scene demonstrate Hamper's chosen place in the world?

2. What was one of Hamper's favorite ways to pass time at work? How is this an interesting facet of his character?

3. How did Hamper's fellow factory workers respond to the article in the Wall Street Journal? Given the tone of this part of the story, where did Hamper actually get his happiness?

4. What did Mike Moore want to do his last night in Flint before he moved to San Francisco? How is this oddly fitting?

5. By the time Janice moved to a different area of the factory, how had she changed? How is this different from what might be expected of a woman working that job?

6. What conversation did Hamper and his grandfather have during the family reunion? How does this fittingly illustrate the difference in their generations?

7. What was the purpose of Hamper's food matching game (pgs 78-79)? What effect does the game have to the writing of this scene?

8. Hamper describes Paul Schobel's work techniques through a series of natural metaphors (pg 189). Why is this different from what might be expected? How is it humorous?

9. What arrangement did Paul and Hamper scheme up at work? How did Hamper justify this, even to the point of making it appear right?

10. "It wasn't every afternoon that I received long-distance phone call from folks at the Wall Street Journal. I didn't remember having any friends who worked there and I was certain that I didn't owe these people any money (pg 171). What do these two sentences reveal about Hamper's character?

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

What role did the time clock play in Hamper's life? How did it become his worst enemy?

Essay Topic 3

Hamper often uses short sentences comprised of a couple nouns and no verbs. What is the effect of these sentences to the reader? Do they propel or slow the flow of the story?

(see the answer keys)

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