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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. What is hanging on the blood covered meat hook in the milkman's truck?

2. How old is George Bruckner in "Gramma"?

3. What is Henry's original feeling toward Thorpe's Fornits story?

4. What items got Gramma fired from her job?

5. What does George remember about Gramma and Grampa and their church?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. Reg likely suffers from a serious mental illness, yet Henry continues to encourage Reg's fantasies. What do you think was Henry's motivating factor?

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

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. Richard Pine is a man who has made his fortune as a surgeon with his hands, but the rest of his life has been shady and complicated. However, through it all, he protected his hands. How do you think he felt when his hands were the only things he had left, and he was faced with eating those for survival?

6. Rumor had it that Gramma was a witch and apparently became one because she could not carry a baby to term. Do you think Gramma was justified to dabble in witchcraft to attain her dream?

7. Henry finally shares his story with a few close friends years later about Reg and the Fornits. Why do you think it took him so long to share this information?

8. Rocky seems to be a bit of an intimidator himself. Though it is long past closing time, he coerces his friend into giving his car an inspection sticker. What do you think this says about Rocky?

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

10. Rocky is dismayed and angered that the milkman, Spike, impregnated his wife. Spike seems not the least bit intimidated, possibly even enjoying Rocky's discomfort. Do you think Spike did what he did in order to specifically anger Rocky, or do you think Spike doesn't care what anyone thinks?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "The Mist," human sacrifice is presented as a potential solution to appease the creatures attacking the people in the grocery store? What do you think King is implying about human nature by suggesting this as an option?

Essay Topic 2

Using "Skeleton Crew" as your example, describe how Stephen King's writing style brought new fans to the horror genre. What does he use that most other horror writers don't? How does his incorporation of humor add to his stories? What do you think he does differently than other writers? What seems to be "textbook" about his approach to writing?

Essay Topic 3

In "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet," Henry is troubled by his strange friendship with an author named Thorpe. Almost as a joke, Henry encouraged Thorpe's paranoia about Fornits, tiny elf-like creatures. How did Henry's encouragement of Thorpe's fantasy lead to that fantasy invading Henry's life as well?

(see the answer keys)

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