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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 book does the author describe Susan Blake giving him in "Cuplicking"?

2. What movie does the author reference as possible influence on his childhood dreams in "Pawpaw Grove"?

3. What does the author call the kissing cousin of loitering in "Loitering"?

4. What does the author note about the wrapper of the candy in "Botan Rice Candy"?

5. What song is described in "Toto" as "a landmark in the genre of kinda racist but" (144)?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the setting of "Pawpaw Grove"? How is it described?

2. What statue is described in "Flowers in the Hands of Statues"? How is it described?

3. How does the author describe the reactions of those around him to the tomato plant in "Tomato on Board"?

4. Who is the central subject in the essay "The Volunteer"? How is this individual described?

5. What event is central in "An Abundance of Public Toilets"? Why does the author find delight in this occasion?

6. What is bindweed? How is it described in "Bindweed... Delight?"

7. What similes and metaphors are seen in "The Purple Cornets of Spring"?

8. How is the word "jenky" defined and illustrated in "The Jenky"?

9. What is the author's central point in "Incorporation"?

10. How does the author describe his grandfather in "The Wave of Unfamiliars"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of sorrow and death in The Book of Delights. How does the author incorporate these themes into a book about joy? What symbols relate to these themes? What individuals are thematically connected to these concepts?

Essay Topic 2

Identify and discuss three examples of irony in The Book of Delights. How does the author use verbal irony for humor? What, if any, dramatic irony is employed? How is situational irony used? To what effect?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the structure of The Book of Delights. How many essays comprise the collection? How do the essays flow into one another? Is there a relationship between each essay? Why do you think the author has structured the collection in this way?

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This section contains 748 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample