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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. What does the girl tell the boy she wants to buy after the man drops his cigarette between the couch cushions?

2. What is the man doing when his cigarette drops between the couch cushions?

3. What does the man offer the boy and girl?

4. How does the boy plan to pay the man?

5. What word does the man use to address the boy and the girl?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the man tell the boy and girl about the record player after he turns off the TV?

2. What does the girl tell the other people about the night at the man's house?

3. Describe the man and the girl dancing together at the end of the story.

4. What does the man say about the neighbors watching him dance with the girl at the end of the story?

5. What does the man drop on the sofa? Who helps him?

6. Why does the girl tell the story of the night at the man's house to everyone? Does she figure anything out?

7. What does the boy tell the man and the girl the whiskey does to him?

8. What does the man offer the boy and the girl to drink? What does he do after that?

9. What does the man think as he watches the faces of the boy and girl in the lamplight?

10. Why does the girl just pick a record at random when the man tells her to pick something?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing narrative voice in Carver of "Why Don't You Dance?." Include thoughts on how the narrative voice of the story is effective in conveying the story’s themes.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing Carver's language style and word choice in "Why Don't You Dance?." What are some words that stand out to you and why? What words are repeated? What words are most impactful? Explain your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Examine the use of dialogue vs the use of description. Look at how each is used in the story and what makes these uses effective or ineffective.

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This section contains 607 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample