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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the relationship between Barnhouse and the narrator?

2. In "The Kid Nobody Could Handle," what does George teach?

3. Who is the Whitehill headmaster?

4. Why does Joe leave the orphanage?

5. In "Deer in the Works," what business does David own?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose two families from this set of short stories and compare and contrast them. Respond to the ways the families interact with each other, their general level of happiness, and how the family life impacts the development of the story.

Essay Topic 2

Vonnegut once said: "High school is closer to the core of the American experience than anything else I can think of." How does this quote relate to the story "The Kid Nobody Could Handle?" What type of high school experience is Vonnegut describing? How does this describe the American experience?

Essay Topic 3

Choose three stories that have children as characters and analyze the use of children in these stories. How does Vonnegut describe childhood? How do children differ from the adults in the stories? Which stories use children effectively to make a point and which do not?

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This section contains 249 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample