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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 "The Vacuum," what does Sedaris say he sees more of on the streets of New York during the pandemic?

2. In "Pearls," what age does Sedaris say is the official start of old age?

3. In "Fresh-Caught Haddock," why is wearing a mask at the protest a relief to Sedaris?

4. On page 247 of "Lucky-Go-Happy," what space does Sedaris say he thinks of as his "office"?

5. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what is Sedaris stunned to hear Lou admit to being wrong about?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what does a Jewish acquaintance point out to Sedaris about his proposed solutions for Confederate monuments?

2. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what do the changes in Lou suggest to Sedaris might be true in his own life?

3. In "Pussytoes," what disagreement do the siblings have about the photo of Lou to use with his obituary?

4. What sentiment does Sedaris close the essay "The Vacuum" with, and what example does he give?

5. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what two examples does Sedaris give of his father's tendency to exaggerate?

6. In "Pussytoes," what is Sedaris's reaction to his father's "Little Black Book"?

7. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," what does Sedaris start asking all of the teenagers at his readings, and what is his reaction to the responses he gets?

8. What literal and figurative meanings does Sedaris convey with the title "Pearls"?

9. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what is the rhetorical function of Sedaris's comment that his father used to watch at lot of Fox News?

10. What is the rhetorical function of opening "The Vacuum" with the description of the supermarket near Sedaris's apartment?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "Lady Marmalade," Sedaris airs evidence for and against his sister Tiffany's claims of sexual abuse. Do you think that an essay intended for public viewing is an appropriate venue for these musings, when neither Lou nor Tiffany is alive to have their voices heard? If Sedaris wanted to focus on his own struggle to come to terms with his sister's accusations, what other detail and language choices might he have made? Would this have been a more appropriate choice, or is the entire topic not really Sedaris's story to share? Write an essay that considers what Sedaris's detail and language choices are meant to convey, what might have been conveyed through different choices, and whether the choices he has made are ethically appropriate.

Essay Topic 2

Sedaris has given several interviews offering advice about how to write humorous essays. Go online and find one of the articles where he offers such advice. Then, write an essay in which you summarize the advice he gives and apply it to one of the essays in this collection (any essay except "Smile, Beautiful"). Do all of the pieces of advice seem to apply to your chosen essay? Which ones are deployed most effectively in this essay? Why are they so effective? Consider questions like these as you explicate the humor in the essay and compare it to the advice Sedaris gives in the article you have chosen. Offer both quoted and paraphrased evidence from both the article and the essay in support of your observations, and cite all sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

What is the meaning behind the anthology's title? Consider the content of the essay of the same name and how it relates to other essays in the collection. Consider how the title sums up a larger idea in this collection--earnestly or ironically. Also think about the reversed title in the essay's final collection. What is the point of reversing this title, and how does this choice add to your understanding of Sedaris's choice of Happy-Go-Lucky for the entire collection? Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about Sedaris's choice of title for this anthology of essays. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the collection.

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