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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. Where does Nona take the narrator?

2. Who are Rand and Shapiro in "Beachworld"?

3. During what historical period was the looking glass made?

4. Why is George summoned from his meeting with Greer?

5. What does the narrator do to defend Nona?

Short Essay Questions

1. Quentin seems terrified of Uncle Otto's truck himself, especially after seeing first hand what happened to Uncle Otto. What does Quentin fear the most?

2. At the end of "Nona," the narrator is surrounded by rats, and Nona herself turns into a huge, disgusting rat. The narrator then embraces the rat and indicates that he is planning suicide. What do you think this story is really about?

3. Henry encourages a writer who apparently believes in the whimsical creatures about which he writes. Henry begins the encouragement out of amusement and boredom. Do you think the resulting actions leading to the writer's death were what Henry expected to happen?

4. The milkman in King's short stories is certainly not your ordinary milkman. He spreads death rather than cheer with wholesome milk. What about Spike makes his methods that much more unusual?

5. "For Owen" seems oddly placed in this collection of stories. Why might King have placed a story about his young son in the midst of more savage and frightening ones?

6. Compare Henry and Reg and how their relationship affected them both.

7. Gramma is fat, flabby, blind, and smells funny. She also often wears a sly, frightening appearance. Do you think she plays up her frightening aspects to keep the family in line?

8. What type of irony can be found within "Survivor Type"? Be sure to use examples from the text to support your theory.

9. Children are often frightened by elderly relatives. Everything about them seems foreign and frightening. Do you think George's fear of Gramma was instinctual or merely the usual fear a child has of older people?

10. What is an example of a metaphor used in "Beachworld" and what comparison is it trying to convey?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Conflict in any story or novel is developed by interaction between protagonist and antagonist. Choose any one of the stories in "Skeleton Crew" and identify the protagonist and antagonist in the story and the conflict that develops between them. What does this add to the story?

Essay Topic 2

Setting is often a major contributing factor to the mood of a story or novel. However, many of King's stories in this book do not stress setting as much as character. Are there any stories in which the setting is an important factor to the mood? If so, which ones and why? How does King use his characters rather than the setting to set the mood in his stories?

Essay Topic 3

Taking into consideration the volume of work involved in this book, how do you analyze the format of "Notes." Is this really the ending you expect from Stephen King? Do you think King's unpredictability is part of his charm?

(see the answer keys)

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