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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 old cartoons, who was Wimpy?

2. What happens to the goodnight kiss between Wanda and the narrator?

3. When the doorman retrieves a childhood toy for the adult narrator, who does he have to fight for it?

4. The prom outfit for each boy includes a white jacket, dark trousers, shoes, socks, shirt, tie, boutonniere, and what else?

5. After the prom dance, Schwartz and the narrator take their dates to the Rooster where, trying to impress, they order what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the narrator's trip to Daphne's house.

2. How does the narrator get his fire chief hat back?

3. What conflict exists for the narrator regarding the night of the party that he's invited to by Josephine?

4. Describe some of the pre-prom rituals.

5. What impression does the narrator make on Mr. Bigelow, Daphne's dad?

6. How does the narrator's date with Josephine end?

7. How does the narrator feel after looking through his box of childhood treasures?

8. Where does the narrator live when he is an adult?

9. How does the narrator prepare for his date with Josephine?

10. Describe the narrator's first major encounter with Josephine.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

On their annual trip to Michigan, the narrator and his family encounter one obstacle after another. Despite their ups and downs, the family members are able to stay excited about their vacation. As an adult, the narrator says these vacations were very memorable. Explain why adversity in life creates memories, using examples from the book and from your own experience.

Essay Topic 2

1. Explain how the author chooses to lead up to the Shepherd family's experiences at the County Fair.

2. Is this method of starting with a present event and then looking back across time an effective one? Why or why not?

3. Is this technique used in other stories in the book? If so, cite at least one more example and analyze its effectiveness.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the narrator's love interests: Josephine, Daphne, and Wanda. Which one is best suited for him, if any? What important life lessons does he learn from his experiences with each?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 945 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample