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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 happens to the Shahinai man after eight months?

2. Where does a woman from the bar take the narrator?

3. What does the woman from the bar say happened to a young man in New Orleans?

4. What is the first story about?

5. In 'Strange Little Girls' in the story 'Raining Blood,' what two options are given to the reader?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the character of Mr. Alice.

2. In the poem 'The Hidden Chamber,' is there anything that is actually hidden?

3. Is the playhouse evil or magical, or was it just the narrator's imagination?

4. Why do you think the double bass allows him to play beautiful music this one time?

5. In 'Keepsakes and Treasures' how does the narrator's background explain the person he is today?

6. Describe the character of the detective in 'A Study in Emerald.'

7. Why does Runt decide to go into the farmhouse at the end of October's story?

8. Describe the character of Miss Finch.

9. What do the characters in 'Strange Little Girls' have in common?

10. Describe the things that happen to the character Amelia Earnshawe in 'Forbidden Brides...'

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of childhood innocence and growing up in two stories or poems of your choice from the collection. Compare the messages given by the author in each one.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of evil and monsters in the poems and stories in this collection. Pay particular attention to the stories 'Keepsakes and Treasures,' 'How Do You Think it Feels?' and 'The Monarch of the Glen." Also, bring in any other stories and poems you like as well. What does the author have to say about evil and human nature? Do you agree with him?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss vampires in the short story collection 'Fifteen Painted Cards From a Vampire Tarot.' How are vampires portrayed? What different kinds of vampires appear in the stories? Can vampires be viewed as symbols or metaphors for anything? Why is vampire fiction so popular?

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