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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 "Café Mort," how did Karen's little brother die?

2. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what is Ned embarrassed about when he remembers coming to Boston Common with his mother seven years before?

3. In "Why I Don't Write," what is a logical antecedent for "one" in the sentence "He got another one, prettier, younger" (72)?

4. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what has changed in Ned's thinking about his mother as he has gotten older?

5. In "Café Mort," what occupies the attention of the "beige woman"?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Boston Common at Twilight," why does Ned end up taking an earlier train than usual, and how does this matter to the story's plot?

2. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what television show does Ned secretly watch? Why does he enjoy it?

3. In "Why I Don't Write," what types of repetition are used in the page 69 paragraph "Cleaning out the closets. Cleaning out the drawers. Clearing out the basement," and what effect does the device create?

4. In "While It Lasts," what does Isabel want from Bonnie, and why?

5. In "Why I Don't Write," what is the page 69 phrase "The thumping far below the floor" an allusion to, and what is its thematic significance?

6. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what clues does Minot offer that the woman in the park might be biologically male?

7. On page 73 of "Why I Don't Write," what is the effect of the single word change from "I don't read it anymore" to the later item "I don't read anymore"?

8. In "Café Mort," what evidence is there that the narrator is ready to leave her grief behind even before Anita speaks to her?

9. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what is implied by the last section of the story, that takes place as Ned grows into adulthood?

10. In "Café Mort," what does the narrator need to rid herself of before she can leave the café?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that addresses the inclusion of a gender nonconforming character in "Boston Common at Twilight." This is the only such character in the collection: is it troubling that they are a sexual criminal, as well, or is this simply necessary to the plot? Is the story one that needs to be told, or does it have nothing new to say? Is Minot's story successful enough as an artistic endeavor to justify what might otherwise be seen as a choice that reinforces the marginalization of part of the population? If you use outside sources in your essay, be sure to cite them in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Grief, absence, and loneliness are obstacles for many of Minot's characters. Choose two characters from two separate stories in the collection and compare and contrast the way they handle these emotional obstacles. Use textual evidence to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that analyzes the rhetorical purpose of "Boston Commons at Twilight's" juxtaposition of Ned's home life against the assault that takes place when he is fifteen. Once you have made an argument about the purpose of the juxtaposition, interrogate the implicit beliefs behind this rhetorical strategy. Is some connection between his home life and his choices being drawn? If so, what? Is Ned being blamed for the choices he makes on this day, in some way? In your opinion, is his behavior different from that of most teenagers? Support your ideas with textual evidence; if you use external sources, cite them in MLA format.

(see the answer keys)

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