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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. Why doesn't Dean break up with his girlfriend in Chapter 6?

2. Why does Stecyk appear trustworthy in Chapter 12?

3. In Chapter 7, who gets on a the minibus?

4. What does RECs stand for?

5. At the end of Chapter 9, what does the author say is good at hiding things?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the purpose of Chapter 11?

2. In the beginning of this novel, how does Claude feel about his job?

3. Why does Wallace have to watch the interviews in Chapter 14?

4. Why does the author talk about the dullness of the IRS in Chapter 9?

5. Why do people dislike the boy in Chapter 5?

6. What point does the author make about the "information society" in Chapter 9?

7. How could the interview in Chapter 21 be described?

8. How is Claude's psychic ability described in Chapter 15?

9. While describing Stecyk in Chapter 12, what does the narrator comment on about the boy's future?

10. In Chapter 16, what does Lane Dean Jr.'s character reveal about the work of the IRS?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the theme of boredom in this novel. How does the author try to influence his readers' opinions about boredom?

Essay Topic 2

Explore the theme of success in this novel. What things make people successful? What things impede success? What is the overall message about success in this novel?

Essay Topic 3

Even though this novel has many characters, what makes David the protagonist of this novel? Compare his role in the novel to definitions of protagonists. How can a protagonist still exist in such a disjointed novel?

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