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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 does Hank do when he positions himself over the room where the meeting is?

2. What was one reason the university was happy to hire Devereaux Sr.?

3. What does Hank's mother make obvious to Hank after he almost runs her over?

4. How many books does Hank say his father had published by the time he left his family?

5. What does Mr. Purty tell Hank about his father that worries Hank?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why was Hank's father offered such a desirable position?

3. 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?

4. 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?

5. How did Hank's father finally solve his problem? How does Hank assess this?

6. 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?

7. Russell goes along to the party for Tony, and tries to get Tony's computer to work, without success. While this is going on, a large group of the professors get stuck in the room, and cannot seem to be able to figure out how to get out. What is Hank's observation on this?

8. What deal did Hank's father accept after the "dog incident" that Hank related in his first article? According to his son, what made this a very attractive offer for William Henry Devereaux, Sr.?

9. When Hank finally goes to see his father in his new house in Railton, what is Hank's reaction? How does he react to what his father says about the writer Charles Dickens?

10. How does Hank sneak out of the building after his time in the ceiling? Who does he meet and what ensues?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tone refers to the attitude of the narrator of a work. As the narrator of "Straight Man", what is the author's tone at different stages of the book? Explain the tone, with examples:

1) In the Prologue of Book One.

2) When he grabs Finny the Goose by the neck and holds him up for the television camera.

3) When he catches his son-in-law with Meg Quigley.

4) In the Epilogue.

Essay Topic 2

In reference to the organization (plot) of "Straight Man":

(1) Why are the events of the novel arranged as they are?

(2) What moves the narrative along? Is it external action or internal conflicts? Or is it a combination of both? Support your answer with examples.

Essay Topic 3

Cite four examples for both exposition and rising action from the novel. What is the balance of these two elements in Straight Man? Is there too much of one at the expense of the other? If so, describe the balance of the two.

(see the answer keys)

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