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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. Howie compares the sunlight landing on parts of the office lobby to __________.

2. Which of these things does Howie NOT purchase on his way back from CVS?

3. What word does Howie say as he leaves the bathroom in Chapter 11?

4. What invention does Howie praise lavishly while visiting the corporate bathroom?

5. How many times a day does Howie typically use the escalator?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Howie notice about tunes whistled in the men's room?

2. Why does Howie consider CVS to be the diary of stores?

3. Why does Howie eventually stop trying to walk up or down the escalator?

4. What does Howie note that he is surprised about in the men's bathroom?

5. Why does Howie need to purchase earplugs every week?

6. What attracted Howie to the Aurelius book?

7. In what way does Howie consider life to be like footnotes?

8. How can Howie reach a majority of adult thoughts?

9. What observations does Howie make about his Revere saucepan?

10. What does Howie consider to be the quintessential question about lunch hours?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss both the narrative tone and structure of this story and their impact on the reader's experience.

Essay Topic 2

What are some of the trivialities, interconnections with other people and thoughts outside of its main subject, tangents, abrupt thoughts that must not be lost and so on that the author illustrates in the footnotes? What greater truth is contained in these?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the purpose of the character L. Why does she never actually physically appears in the narrative? How does she help create the roundness of Howie's character?

(see the answer keys)

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