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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 does Chapter 25 take place?

2. What do the agents at Peoria REC call the product of Martinsburg?

3. In Chapter 30, what stands out most to Sylvanshine about Glendenning?

4. Where does David say he lived after he was hired by the IRS?

5. What does David say happened to his mother in 1971?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does David feel he wasted his youth in Chapter 22?

2. What is the relationship between the Peoria REC and Martinsburg?

3. What are IRS phantoms?

4. How does David's early IRS training differ from Cusk's?

5. In Chapter 27, why is the word "profitable" not used officially?

6. What happens with the lawsuits that follow David's father's death?

7. In Chapter 33, how does Lane Dean Jr. perform his work?

8. Why is Lehrl's office so important to Reynolds in Chapter 30?

9. In Chapter 22, what reason does David give for going to the IRS for a job?

10. How does David describe the van ride after he is hired by the IRS?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the use of post-modernism techniques. Consider the unique text layouts, formats, footnotes, columns, interviews, etc. How do these textual features affect the development of this novel?

Essay Topic 2

What is the effect of the loosely connected characters of "The Pale King" on the development of the plot? What is the relationship between plot and characterization?

Essay Topic 3

How is characterization accomplished in this novel? Consider the fact that characters will appear in one chapter and not again for several chapters. Consider how many of the characters interact with minor and unnamed characters. Also, how is characterization accomplished in chapters that exist to develop the IRS and setting only?

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