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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. How does the author describe the man in Chapter 5?

2. In Chapter 21, what does the interviewer seem most interested in?

3. What does RECs stand for?

4. In Chapter 15, how are Claude's psychic moments described?

5. In Chapter 10, who justifies the role of large organizations?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the purpose of Chapter 11?

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

3. In Chapter 5, what has happened to the boy's mother?

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

5. How does Stecyk change from Chapter 12 to Chapter 14?

6. What makes Chapter 4 different from Chapters 1-3?

7. In Chapter 10, how does the author explain the existence of the bureaucratic systems he describes?

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

9. In Chapter 13, why does the main character pay attention to the way he sits?

10. How do the girl and her mother get away in Chapter 8?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What role do nameless characters play in this novel? Consider how they affect the plot and the other characters in the novel. How do these nameless characters influence the major themes?

Essay Topic 2

What is the role of interview in "The Pale King"? Consider the interviews conducted with tax payers, IRS employees and people wishing to become IRS employees. What message is conveyed about the interviewing process?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the use of dialogue vs the use of description. Look at how each is used in the novel and what makes these uses effective or ineffective.

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