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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 "Unbuttoned," what item of Sedaris's does he find in his father's room at Springmoor?

2. In "Hurricane Season," what objection do Sedaris and his sister have to the name Hugh has chosen for the rental house?

3. In "Bruised," what word does Sedaris use to describe Hugh's farmhouse?

4. In "Bruised," how old is Olivier?

5. In "Unbuttoned," what does Sedaris notice on the floor of his father's house?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Hurricane Season," how does the example of the neighbor's "shocking" outdoor shower undermine the point Sedaris has just made about renters?

2. In "Hurricane Season," what contrast does Sedaris explore between his reception of Hugh's criticisms of his family and his family's criticisms of Hugh?

3. In "Themes and Variations," what kinds of people does Sedaris resist giving money to?

4. In "Active Shooter," what is the rhetorical purpose of the anecdote about Lisa believing a story she read in The Onion?

5. In "Father Time," how does Sedaris contrast his attentiveness to his father with that of his siblings?

6. In "Themes and Variations," what does Sedaris discover about women, and how does he discover it?

7. In "Hurricane Season," how does Sedaris depict Hugh's attention to detail as a benefit of their relationship?

8. In "Unbuttoned," how does Sedaris contrast his feelings about his own medical procedure with his father's behavior?

9. In "Bruised," what anecdote does Sedaris tell about a neighbor woman he knew when he was a child?

10. In "To Serbia with Love," what criticism does Sedaris level against the American tourists Patsy deals with in Paris?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "Happy-Go-Lucky," Sedaris reflects on how his father has changed over time and how he, too, might change as a result of his father's death. This essay gives the entire anthology its name--does it unite the anthology in another sense, as well? What other essays in this collection show how Sedaris has changed over time? What hopes does he seem to have for how he might continue to grow and change? Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about how the idea of personal growth and change permeates this collection. Your essay should not simply point to places where this motif occurs but should make observations about its meaning--what, specifically, does Sedaris seek to convey about his own identity and its change through time? Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the collection.

Essay Topic 2

In "The Vacuum," Sedaris is defensive about being called "tone deaf and elitist" during the Covid-19 pandemic (149). Consider Happy-Go-Lucky as a whole. What elements of Sedaris's writing seem to support this charge? What elements argue against it? Does Sedaris seem aware of and compassionate towards the concerns of ordinary people, or does he seem somewhat self-involved and callous? Write an essay in which you take and defend a position about whether Sedaris is or is not indifferent to the suffering of others. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the anthology.

Essay Topic 3

Early in studying this anthology, you considered how Sedaris's writing might affect his boyfriend, Hugh Hamrick, and how it might impact the reputation of his father and his siblings' feelings about their father. Now that you have read Sedaris's essay about his sister Tiffany's suicide, think back to the standards you personally believe a writer should follow in prioritizing their art versus the privacy and feelings of others. Do some online research into the controversy surrounding Sedaris's treatment of Tiffany's suicide, and develop an opinion about whether his discussions of her in Happy-Go-Lucky meet or violate your standards. Write an essay that analyzes the ethics of the essay "Lady Marmalade" and of other mentions of Tiffany throughout Happy-Go-Lucky. Draw your evidence from both Sedaris's writing and from online sources discussing others' reception of his remarks about his sister. Cite all sources in MLA format.

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