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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 "Pearls," what does Sedaris call the "first step to divorce" (156)?

2. What most bothers Sedaris about the phrases he discusses in "A Better Place" ?

3. In "Pearls," what does Sedaris tell the woman in Sussex about Hugh?

4. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what is Lou wearing when Sedaris, Amy, and Hugh go to visit him?

5. In "The Vacuum," what does Sedaris say is the only thing he was able to successfully hoard?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Pearls," what does Sedaris theorize are the two main causes of relationship failures?

2. In "A Better Place," what are Sedaris's practical objections to the idea that deceased loved ones look down on us from heaven?

3. In "Pussytoes," what perspective shift does Sedaris use as he describes sitting at Lou's bedside, and what impact does this have on the reader?

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

5. In "Pussytoes," what happens when Sedaris calls Gretchen about their father's death?

6. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," why does Sedaris think that his father is losing his hearing?

7. In "A Better Place," what is Sedaris's response to the idea that his father "did his best" (193)?

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

9. In "The Vacuum," what kind of language does Sedaris complain about people using to describe the pandemic, and what are some examples of this language?

10. When describing protests in "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what two examples of White participants' vandalism does Sedaris give, and how do Black bystanders react?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

In "Pussytoes," Sedaris shares his ideas about how his and his siblings' shared past impacts them in the present. He also wonders how his father's death might affect their relationship in the future. But "Pussytoes" is not the only essay in this collection that considers how the past, present, and future are related. Choose another essay in which you see Sedaris drawing links between the past, present, and future. Write an essay that shows the presence of this pattern in your chosen essay, making clear what specific ideas Sedaris is conveying about how the past influences the present and how the present might predict the future. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the essay.

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