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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. To whom is "Buzz him in" said in Paragraph 10?

2. What phrase does the man with the pistol use in order to tell Anders to be quiet?

3. Who hands the bags to the bank tellers?

4. In what position is the guard lying after taking a blow from the man with the shotgun?

5. What verb is used to describe the fastening of the guard's hands together?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the main conflict at the center of the story and who is involved in that conflict?

2. What evidence points to the conclusion that Wolff wants the reader to view Anders's actions as selfish?

3. Anders refers to the conflict at the center of the story as what object? Why?

4. What is the first turn of phrase used by the man with the pistol that interests Anders and why?

5. Name the violent actions taken by the man with the sawed-off shotgun.

6. Describe the man with the sawed-off shotgun.

7. Describe the first physical contact one of the robbers makes with Anders.

8. In what way is Anders shown to be hypocritical within the opening scene of the story?

9. How does Anders invoke the idea of justice within the scene of the robbery?

10. How does Wolff use allusion within the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Could "Bullet in the Brain" be classified as a horror story? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the reasons why "Bullet in the Brain" uses an omniscient narrator and a plot that unfolds largely in real time. What elements of the story's themes lend themselves to these choices and what are Wolff’s intended effects on the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Explicate the motif of the ticking clock within Wolff’s story “Bullet in the Brain.” What is Wolff’s message regarding linear time and how do you know?

(see the answer keys)

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