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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 Lynch's analogy of life as a trip across America, at what point do you meet a girl?

2. What was Kevorkian's training in?

3. What seafood dish did Lynch refer to at the end of Chapter 8?

4. What California town did Lynch imagine dying in in his analogy?

5. What medical topic did Sweeney broach when eating rainbow trout?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why have more and more Americans opted for cremation, according to Lynch?

2. How do most people view undertakers, according to Lynch?

3. What perspective did Lynch reach on the night his mother was buried?

4. How did Lynch feel about the prospect of his loved ones feeling guilt at his funeral?

5. What characteristic of "successful" suicides did Lynch say he admired?

6. What did Lynch mean when he said that "in even the best of caskets, it never all fits"?

7. What lesson did Lynch want to teach Sweeney with his story of the man killed by the falling vehicle at the scrap metal yard?

8. What did Lynch see as the advantage of being at the midpoint of one's life?

9. How do Lynch and his wife differ in their views of Milford as they walk through town in Chapter 7?

10. Describe Lynch's grandmothers.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lynch discussed the criticisms faced by his profession from various authors and the media. Were these criticisms justified? Is there something inherent in the field that makes it impossible for "customers" to get a fair deal? Does preplanning a funeral help avoid some of the more difficult issues? Why do people criticize the profession as a whole while insisting that they themselves had a positive experience in the past? How does Lynch defend his profession?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Discuss the feasibility of the "golfatorium" envisioned by Lynch. Would Americans accept such a concept? How would it fit into the general American attitude that cemeteries are a waste of land because they don't serve the living? How would it fit into the American concept of one-stop shopping for services? Would it be possible to maintain a sense of respect and dignity for the dead at a golf course?

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