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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 Sylvanshine first talk to Reynolds in Chapter 30?

2. Where does the narrator say Blumquist died?

3. What does Chapter 34 consist of?

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

5. How does Cusk feel when he returns from his break in Chapter 27?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What is Chapter 25 about?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Knowing that "The Pale King" is unfinished, how does this influence the novel? What impact does this have on the development of the plot and the characters? How does the inclusion of author notes influence these things?

Essay Topic 3

Research the IRS to compare the IRS details in the novel to the truth. Why might the author have maintained some facts and disregarded others?

(see the answer keys)

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