View a FREE sample

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1: The Center of the Story.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who is "thinking of writing a letter to the President" (20)?
(a) The main character.
(b) The woman at the church.
(c) The landlady.
(d) The man who thinks he is dying.

2. What color is the light in the man's bedroom?
(a) Blue.
(b) Yellow.
(c) Purple.
(d) Grey.

3. What does the sick man want when he calls the main character?
(a) He wants her to come over and help him.
(b) He wants her advice about whether to go to the hospital.
(c) He wants to talk about death and the afterlife.
(d) He wants to apologize for the argument they recently had.

4. What does the landlady say the mayor gave her?
(a) An award.
(b) Carpet.
(c) Flowers.
(d) A stove.

5. Why was the woman reading the Bible during the period she writes about in her story?
(a) Because she needed comfort during the hurricane.
(b) Because it was the High Holy Days.
(c) Because she wanted to know exactly what it said.
(d) Because she wanted to use Biblical allusions in her writing.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is with the landlady when the landlady is talking about the mayor?

2. In what religion are the High Holy Days a sacred time?

3. The man tells the woman that he has committed "blasphemy" (20). What has he done?

4. For what reason, besides that "there may not be enough to tell about him," does the woman think that the man might not be the right "center" for her story (20)?

5. What technique is used in the sentence: "The story is flat and even, just as the earth seems flat and even when a hurricane is advancing over it" (19)?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 324 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample