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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. Where do Bryson and his brother eat on their visit?

2. How much money would Bryson have spent at Colonial Williamsburg if he was with his family?

3. Why are the waiters in the restaurant in Cooperstown eager for Bryson to leave?

4. Why does Bryson joke that aliens have abducted everyone from Peacham?

5. When the gas station attendant makes a phone call, what does Bryson do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Bryson realize on a family trip when he witnessed a shooting?

2. Is Bryson's mother patient?

3. Why doesn't Bryson mind bad service in restaurants?

4. What does Bryson feel about Philadelphia having the affect of a big city?

5. Has Bryson had good or bad experiences with strippers? What prompted this thought?

6. How does Bryson feel after visiting Gettysburg? Why?

7. Why is Bryson concerned about Detroit?

8. Why does Bryson "believe" Littleton has been taken over by aliens?

9. Why are Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island more to Bryson's liking?

10. How does Bryson imagine he should act in New York?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A majority of Bryson's trip is centered around sightseeing. Discuss tourism as a tool in Bryson's journey of discovering America and self-discovery.

Essay Topic 2

Through many of Bryson's stops on his journey, he compares his experiences as a child to those as an adult. Discuss Bryson's relationship and resistance to change--whether it be change in himself or in his environment. Is Bryson able to distinguish internal and external change?

Essay Topic 3

Much of Bryson's observations are steered by his personal opinion rather than his objectivism. Discuss how Bryson's personal objectives cause him to manipulate facts--how does this affect him as a writer and the reader's perception?

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This section contains 821 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample