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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 does David feel confused in Chapter 27?

2. What does David first talk about in the beginning of Chapter 22?

3. In Chapter 24, who is the last person on the van once it arrives at the IRS building?

4. In Chapter 22, what word does David use to describe himself in his youth?

5. What role does Manshardt have with the IRS?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the IRS employees entertain themselves in Chapter 32?

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

3. How does David's father's arm get stuck in the train?

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

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

6. In Chapter 22, why does David take a long time getting to the train?

7. What are IRS phantoms?

8. In Chapter 27, what reason is given for possibly not conducting an audit?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the purpose and role of supernatural powers in this novel. How are psychic abilities used in the novel? How are phantoms used?

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

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?

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