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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. Hank realizes his son-in-law is having an affair. With whom?

2. What does Hank's doctor tell him about his urinary problem?

3. Early Monday morning, Hank gets a call from the head of campus security. What is his name?

4. Hank and Tony head off to their homes in separate cars. What does Hank end up thinking about?

5. Who does Hank sell one of the lots next to his house to?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the status of Hank and Lily's daughters? What are they doing?

2. The morning after Hank and Tony end up in the same place, what does Hank find when he heads home? What does he do instead? What does he find out?

3. When Hank gets to his office the morning the goose is found hanging in the tree,, what emotional state is his secretary in? Why is this?

4. What happened to Devereaux Sr. not long after arriving at his new post?

5. In the Epilogue, what does Hank tell the readers he is now doing?

6. After Hank teaches his class and finds out that his student Leo is actually responsible for killing the birds on campus, Hank goes to see the dean, Jacob Rose. What does Jacob tell him? How does Hank react? What happens after this?

7. After going to his own office and speaking to his secretary, Hank heads to the Dean's (Jacob Rose) office. What does Hank do there and what kind of response does he get?

8. After Hank's calls from Lou and Teddy, Hank heads to campus but stops at the diner first. Who does he meet there and what does this individual tell Hank?

9. What does Hank notice as he leaves his mother in front of the Victorian house?

10. On Monday morning, Hank gets a call from Lou Steinmetz. What is Lou's job and what does he ask Hank about? Who calls Hank right after Lou? What does he tell Hank?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Hank as the protagonist in Straight Man. What is the definition of protagonist? Discuss both Hank's positive and negative characteristics, and give three examples of each to show how they influence the actions he takes and the decisions he makes.

Essay Topic 2

Dialogue often serves to reveal characters and their traits, as well as events. It is often used as an alternative to exposition. How is dialogue used as a literary technique to move a narrative along, and specifically how is it utilized in Straight Man? Cite, in detail, one example of how dialogue is used effectively in the novel.

Essay Topic 3

How are Hank's father and mother characterized in the Prologue? As the novel progresses, how does their relationship with Hank follow the same patterns as it did when he was a child?

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