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Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. The man with the pistol uses what adjective to describe the teller he instructs to fill her bag?
2. Who hands the bags to the bank tellers?
3. Who is the first character to whom Anders speaks after the robbery begins?
4. The woman in front of Anders in line looks at Anders with what type of eyes in Paragraph 9?
5. What phrase does the man with the pistol utter that causes Anders to tell him, "Oh, bravo" (8)?
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe the man with the sawed-off shotgun.
2. How is the motif of violence featured within the very first section of the story?
3. Describe the setting in the opening of the story "Bullet in the Brain."
4. What two-word name does the man with the pistol call Anders?
5. What is the first command the man with the pistol gives to Anders and how does Anders respond?
6. What is the first turn of phrase used by the man with the pistol that interests Anders and why?
7. For what purpose does the man with the sawed-off shotgun put down his weapon at one point?
8. Describe the first physical contact one of the robbers makes with Anders.
9. At what time of day does the story take place?
10. What evidence points to the conclusion that Wolff wants the reader to view Anders's actions as selfish?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Look carefully at Anders’s language use throughout the story. What is Wolff’s purpose for shaping Anders’s voice in the way that he does? For example, why does Wolff choose to have Anders make an allusion to an Ernest Hemingway story as he is remarking on the robbers’ use of language?
Essay Topic 2
Analyze the various characterization methods Wolff uses to create characters such as Anders, the man with the pistol, and even Anders’s estranged daughter. How does Wolff’s use of characterization support themes and messages contained within the story?
Essay Topic 3
Could "Bullet in the Brain" be classified as a horror story? Why or why not?
This section contains 870 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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