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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 is Gunnar's bride attained?

2. Who arranges a marriage for Gunnar?

3. How does Yoshiko deal with the wedding crashers?

4. What does Gunnar challenge the United States government to do?

5. Where does a recruiter from Harvard take Gunnar?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What happens when Yoshiko goes into labor?

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

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

5. What subject does Nick bring up to Gunnar and what does Nick ask Gunnar?

6. Who comes to talk to Gunnar about his speech the next day and what do they ask him about?

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

8. Where does Gunnar find refuge in his new school, how does he get his assignments and why has he been brought to that school?

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

10. What does Gunnar say to the reporters about suicide?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think A Single Shard is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

There are a number of interesting questions raised by The White Boy Shuffle. Questions that Beatty most likely want readers to consider and think through carefully. Discuss the following:

1. What does the term "author agenda" mean?

2. Name one idea/concept you think may have been a part of the Beatty's agenda. Analyze that idea throughout the book and discuss Beatty's probable agenda concerning that idea.

2. Do you think writers who have an agenda for writing should point it out in a preface?

3. How often do you think fiction is written with a clear agenda in mind by the author?

4. Research the life of Paul Beatty and see if/where his life may have influenced his writing.

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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