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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. Where does Gunnar meet the recruiter from Boston University?

2. Where does Gunnar find a refuge at school?

3. What does Gunnar see when he leaves basketball practice in Chapter Seven?

4. What do the wedding crashers say to the guests?

5. Why does Gunnar walk into the water at the beach?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Gunnar's coach tell him about Nick and what does the coach have for him? What does Gunnar do?

2. What does Coach Shimimoto do and say when he keeps the team longer at practice in Chapter Seven?

3. What happens when Gunnar leaves his creative writing class in Chapter Ten when Gunnar is going home?

4. Who crashes Gunnar's wedding and what happens between them and his bride?

5. What does Gunnar see when they finally get out of practice in Chapter Seven and how does he learn what is happening?

6. What does Gunnar do when he can find no extracurricular activities to join and want does Gunnar write Yoshiko while on the road?

7. What happens in Chapter Seven when Gunnar arrives at Ms. Kim's store?

8. Where is Gunnar's wedding reception and where does he go for a honeymoon?

9. Who arranges a marriage for Gunnar and how does he come up with a bride? Where does the wedding take place?

10. How does the school counselor feel about Gunnar's SAT scores and what happens because of his scores?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The counselor was shocked that a black student could get the high SAT scores that Gunnar made.

1. Refute or defend the following statement: Stereotypes about people are generally true. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. How do you think stereotyping or generalization in schools can affect students? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. The only statement that can be true about a population is if that population consist of only one person. Discuss this statement in view of the counselor stereotyping black students.

Essay Topic 2

The the reader can see the basis for the mother's fears that her children have lost touch with their own heritage. It is possible that the children's elementary school with all of its misguided stress on multiculturalism has helped to separate the children from understanding their true heritage.

1. Do you think Gunnar's mother's fears are unfounded? Why or why not? Use examples from The White Boy Shuffle and your own life to support your answer.

2. Discuss the ways in which such an emphasis on multiculturalism could confuse a child about his or her own heritage. Use examples from The White Boy Shuffle and your own life to support your answer.

3. Do you think it was illogical for Gunnar's mother to move her children to a lower class and potentially more violent neighborhood just so they could be around people of their own race? Why or why not? Use examples from The White Boy Shuffle and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze the theme of growth in The White Boy Shuffle. Consider the following questions as you write: What characters are most concerned with growth? Why? What are some symbols of growth? Symbols of rigidity? What characters seem rigid?

2. Trace and analyze the theme of individual freedom in The White Boy Shuffle. Which characters struggle with this issue? Why? Which characters seem to possess individual freedom? Why?

3. Trace and analyze the theme of tradition in The White Boy Shuffle. What is Gunnar's view of tradition? Gunnar's mother? Nick's? Gunnar's father. Why is tradition important to some characters? Is anyone willing to abandon traditional viewpoints? Who? What are the positive and negative sides to holding fast to tradition?

(see the answer keys)

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