View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The narrator states in “The Retreat” that when Georgeann married Shelby, her mother warned her about the disadvantages of marrying what?

2. Where has the narrator’s husband gone away to work in “Residents and Transients”?

3. What old friend from graduate school does Nancy tell “Insulation is [Jack’s] hobby” in “Lying Doggo”?

4. Where did the narrator know Larry from before she began having an affair with him in “Residents and Transients”?

5. What is the last name of Bill and Imogene in “The Ocean”?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Georgeann’s senior prom described in “The Retreat”?

2. How are Ishmael and its owner described in “The Ocean”?

3. What is Edwin Creech doing in the opening of “A New-Wave Format”?

4. Why does Nancy return to her childhood home in “Nancy Culpepper”?

5. How are Nancy’s husband and son described in “Nancy Culpepper”?

6. How is Ruby’s relationship with Buddy described in “Third Monday”?

7. How did Mary meet her husband in “Residents and Transients”? How are Mary and her husband similar?

8. What different depictions of “family” are presented in “Graveyard Day”?

9. What does the narrator of “Residents and Transients” reveal in the beginning of the story? Who is the narrator?

10. How is Larry described in “Residents and Transients”? How did Mary meet Larry?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the narrative style of “Detroit Skyline, 1949.” Why do you think the author chose to relate this story from a first person perspective? How does the tone of the story differ from that of “Shiloh” and “The Rookers”? How does the language style of the story compare?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the setting of “The Rookers.” What imagery and symbolism does the author imbue in the setting of the story? In what ways is Mary Lou’s card table symbolic? What does it represent to Mary Lou?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the characters of Georgeann and Shelby Pickett in “The Retreat.” How do Georgeann and Shelby resemble the characters of “Shiloh” and “The Rookers”? What other characters in the collection can you see similarities to Georgeann and Shelby?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 852 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample