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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. In Chapter 32, who does the IRS examiner call?

2. What year do David's parents divorce?

3. In Chapter 22, why does David say he switched colleges often?

4. In Chapter 30, how does Sylvanshine describe Lehrl's future office?

5. In Chapter 30, where does Sylvanshine get the facts from that he shares with Reynolds?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 27, what surprises Cusk when he returns from his break?

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

3. Why doesn't David exit the van in Chapter 24 with the other people?

4. What task is the narrator given by Gary Manshardt in Chapter 35?

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

6. How does David feel while Ms. Neti-Neti leads him into the IRS REC?

7. Why does Sylvanshine talk to Reynolds over the phone in Chapter 30?

8. How do IRS workers know of the phantoms?

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

10. In Chapter 27, what worries Cusk most about his training?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the role of women in this novel. While most of the IRS employees are men, there are a few women characters who play major roles in the novel. How do women influence the development of the major themes? How do the women interact with the IRS? What influence does this have? In what ways do women exist outside of, and independent of, the IRS?

Essay Topic 2

Explore the author's commentary on government in "The Pale King". What is the preferred relationship between government and citizen? What is the relationship between government and government employee?

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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