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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What aspects of the heart does Mel understand?

2. With whom does Mel appear to be in conflict over the concept of love more than any other character?

3. Which character has the dominant role in the story?

4. In which part of the story does the narrator mention where the characters are from?

5. When the author uses the term 'universal', to what is he referring?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A resolution is often included in literature to give the reader a sense of closure. What is the resolution in this story? Discuss whether it adequately resolves the situation and why you think that way. What could the author have done differently?

Essay Topic 2

Connotation and denotation help a reader understand the meaning of a particular word or concept. Define both connotation and denotation. Identify a word used by Carver in this story and define its denotation and possible connotations. In this specific story, how does the connotation of terms contribute to the reader's understanding of the work?

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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