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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 long does Pat try to get the playwright to work in "Teamed with Genius"?

2. What does Pat tell the couple that his profession is in "The Homes of the Stars"?

3. What kind of brochures does the man in "The Homes of the Stars" sell?

4. In "Boil Some Water--Lots of It," what is revealed about the person that Pat hit?

5. In "Teamed with Genius," whom will Pat help write the screenplay?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Pat stoop to a new low in "Teamed With Genius"?

2. What does "A Man in the Way" show about Pat?

3. How does Pat mess up the opportunity he is given in "Pat Hobby's Secret"?

4. In "Pat Hobby's Secret," how is the story a little more optimistic than the previous stories in the collection?

5. In "Boil Some Water--Lots of It," how is Pat's behavior different from his previous actions in other stories?

6. What is revealed about the man who tries to sit at the Big Table in "Boil Some Water--Lots of It"?

7. How does Pat try to impress his son in "Pat Hobby, Putative Father"?

8. In "Pat Hobby, Putative Father," who is Pat's son? Describe his origins.

9. In "Pat Hobby, Putative Father," what does Pat's son offer him and on what condition?

10. How does Woll die in "Pat Hobby's Secret"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Though Pat tries to do something good in "Boil Some Water--Lots of It," he ends up being the bad guy. What were Pat's intentions in the story? What results from Pat's actions, and what does this reveal about his character? Remember to answer each question with support from the story.

Essay Topic 2

"Pat Hobby's Christmas Wish" carries a theme of kinship between two people who feel similarly unsympathetic feelings toward Gooddorf for different reasons. How do Pat and Helen bond? What are their feelings about Gooddorf, and how does this create a connection between the two of them? Remember to answer each question with support from the story.

Essay Topic 3

A common theme in The Pat Hobby Stories is irony, and that is no different in "Pat Hobby Does His Bit." How is Pat's reaction in the story ironic? How does Pat's reaction reflect his personality? Remember to answer each question with support from the story.

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