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. According to the conversation that Lindy has with her friend Connie, what aspect of Shawn's condition bothers Sydney the most?

2. In the stanza of the poem that opens Chapter 8, what is the main question being asked?

3. What sensory experiences does Shawn remember as they drive away from the scene of the accident?

4. What does Dad think the crow might do to Shawn?

5. What do Shawn's eyes tend to focus on?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 5, Shawn notes that his father has been a public figure because of the poem he writes about Shawn. Name three things that fame brings to Shawn's father.

2. What "techniques of making contact" does Shawn mention have not been tried on him?

3. How does Sydney McDaniel support his argument that schools waste money educating the ineducable?

4. Despite his irritation at the world premiere reading of the poem, what things does Shawn like about the poem?

5. Why does Shawn say that he has looked into death's eyes?

6. What does Shawn's father throw at the crow, and does he hit or miss its target?

7. What does Cindy do when the dog is hit by a car?

8. During his last feeding of Shawn, Sydney tells Lindy that he is mad at something other than at Shawn. What is he mad at?

9. What kinds of things is Shawn able to remember using his gift?

10. What is Shawn's out-of-body experience like while his father is in the classroom shooting video with a cameraman?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Shawn remembers when he was four and his father attempts to feed him. Shawn's coughs food onto his father's face. He complains to his wife about how hard it is to deal with Shawn's disabilities. How does this incident typify Sydney McDaniel's reaction to Shawn's disabilities? Identify how often in his life has Shawn's father has fed him. According to Sydney, his anger during this incident is directed at what or whom? Why? When Sydney says he "can't do this any more." To what is he referring? Is Sydney's reaction to Shawn's disabilities valid or logical? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Point of view in a novel allows the reader to experience the story. In Stuck in Neutral, the story is told from the point of view of how many characters?

Part 1) Why is the story told this way? What are the limitations and advantages of having this many point of view characters? Why is it necessary to tell this particular story in this way?

Part 2) How would the story have been different if the story was told from the point of view of multiple characters, or from the point of view of another character? Make a list of at least three ways the story would have been different and present it to the class.

Essay Topic 3

Shawn thinks about how he and his father both have double jointed thumbs and how his father will sometimes perform the "thumb ritual."

Part 1) Provide at least three reasons how the author uses the double-jointed thumbs as an element in the novel. For each, explain how it adds to the novel. Does the juxtaposition of Shawn's thumbs and his father's thumbs create a comparison, contrast, irony, foreshadow, or something else?

Part 2) How does Shawn say he feels during this ritual. Explain what Shawn's feelings about his father during this ritual contributes to the novel.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,319 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample