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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. Which character spent five years in a seminary?

2. Who feels as if the group is "enchanted" as the conversation continues?

3. Who claims that abusive behavior is not love?

4. What happens to Terri's ex-boyfriend after he tried to kill himself?

5. Who is married to Nick?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Nick respond when Mel says he would have liked a different profession?

2. Who is the dominant character in Carver's story, and how do you know?

3. Describe the relationship between Mel and Terri.

4. Describe the mood of the second portion of Mel's story.

5. Describe what Mel was doing when he was notified of the car accident.

6. How many views of the situation does the author give the reader? Do you think this is helpful or not? Why?

7. Why does Mel become more and more animated?

8. Why do you think the characters enter a depressive state by the end of the story?

9. What is the attitude of the other characters in the story as Mel becomes drunk?

10. What does Mel hope will happen to his ex-wife and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Narration refers to the method the author uses to communicate the story to readers. From what type of viewpoint is this story narrated? Discuss the advantages and drawbacks of presenting a story from this viewpoint.

Essay Topic 2

The title of a work is one of literature's most important aspects. Why is title thought to be so important to a work of literature? What did the author want to communicate to the reader through this particular title?

Essay Topic 3

Syntax is the way an author puts words, sentences, and sections together to form ideas and meanings. It can be overt or subtle, isolated to a portion of the work or universal throughout. Describe the syntax Carver uses in this story. How do specific characteristics about the syntax contribute to the reader's experience of the work?

(see the answer keys)

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