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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. What Christian writer did Lynch's mother frequently read?

2. What kind of food did Lynch say many neighbors brought over after his divorce?

3. What brand of vehicle did Lynch refer to when discussing the power of advertising?

4. To what fast food restaurant did Lynch refer when talking about non-custodial parents?

5. What Friday night TV show did Lynch mention when discussing his generation's approach to death?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the unique problems faced by undertakers trying to "advertise" their services?

2. Why did Nugent have several relationships following his divorce and did they help him find love?

3. Why was Lynch's father fond of quoting Gladstone?

4. Why do most people never pay attention to the figure Lynch called "The Big One"?

5. What is the essential difference between burying the old and burying infants?

6. Of all the choices offered by Lynch to explain Stephanie's death, which one seemed to be the one he would choose?

7. Why was Henry Nugent unable to get relief from his heartbreak following his divorce?

8. How did Lynch "resolve" his feelings about the existence of God?

9. In what fundamental ways did the flush toilet change human civilization?

10. How did Lynch feel about constantly taking Nugent's phone calls following the divorce?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lynch described the toilet as an invention that was essential in robbing us of our ability to deal directly with the less savory aspects of life, including the eventuality of death for us all. Do you agree with this? Does the fact that we no longer have to deal in an intimate manner with our life cycle make it more difficult to deal with that cycle? Has death become something we are embarrassed by? If so, how does that affect our attitude toward the dead?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the artichoke poem described in Chapter 5. How did the poet use sexual imagery in describing the vegetable? Why did he choose to describe an artichoke instead of a woman? Why did so many people respond to the poem in the way the author clearly intended? Is there some unspoken connection between food and sex?

Essay Topic 3

Lynch's parents were fundamentally different when it came to raising the kids. His father was obsessed about potential dangers and would have placed a short leash on all of them if possible. His mother left her worries to God. How did those two ways of child rearing affect the kids? Given the parents' beliefs and life experiences, would it have been possible for either one to act differently? Could there have been a happy medium between the two extremes or was that impossible? Did the two approaches complement one another or interfere with one another?

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