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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does the narrator say he knows he will see his girlfriend again?
(a) She owes him money.
(b) He has things at her house.
(c) They work for the same company.
(d) They live together.

2. What does the proprietor say to the other men about Tiny after he has fallen?
(a) "Lift his head!"
(b) "Give him air!"
(c) "Call 911!"
(d) "Don't move him!"

3. As he tells his stories, why can J.P. not use his hands?
(a) They are cold.
(b) They feel numb.
(c) They are trembling badly.
(d) One of them is broken.

4. How do the other patients respond when Tiny tells his story at breakfast?
(a) They tell him to be quiet.
(b) They ignore him.
(c) They interrupt him.
(d) They laugh and shake their heads.

5. Who does J.P.'s wife say is "the best sweep in the business"?
(a) Herself.
(b) Her father.
(c) J.P.
(d) Her brother.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does J.P. tell his stories to the narrator?

2. How long does the proprietor of the facility recommend that patients stay in treatment?

3. After J.P. gets married, what word does he use to describe how he feels about his life?

4. Why does the narrator's landlord grin when he sees him?

5. What time of day does Tiny return from the hospital to the facility?

Short Essay Questions

1. Give an example of hopefulness in the story.

2. How does J.P. act when he tells the story about his descent into alcoholism?

3. Why does the narrator remember the story of the landlord painting?

4. Why does J.P. say the proprietor makes him feel like a "bug"?

5. Why is the narrator so enthralled by J.P.'s stories?

6. Give an example of a character in the story thinking fatalistically.

7. What is the significance of mentioning the razor nicks on J.P.'s and other residents' faces?

8. How is the image of cold weather used in the story?

9. How is friendship presented in the story?

10. Give of an example of how the narrator practices avoidance.

(see the answer keys)

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