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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 do the men tell Alexander when they enter the bar?

2. Who does Stephanie see when she takes Bob out for a walk?

3. What does Stephanie give Ranger?

4. For whom had the dead man worked?

5. Where does Mooner overhear a conversation about Homer and Arturo?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Stephanie talks to Cynthia Lotte and what does this say about Stephanie?

2. How does Stephanie obtain information about the Ramos family in her "own back yard" so to speak and how is this ironic?

3. What do you think Alexander means when he says Homer killed himself?

4. Do you think where Stephanie shoots Munson is intentional?

5. How is the farcical nature of this novel even more evident in Chapter 11?

6. Stephanie has bad luck with cars--do you think this is her fault?

7. Why do you think Stephanie goes to the trouble to buy an alarm at Radio Shack just to catch Ranger sneaking into her house?

8. Do you think it is right of Stephanie to ram Joyce's SUV with the Buick?

9. Why is Cynthia at the townhouse and how does the information she offers and her actions at the townhouse inform her character?

10. Why is Stephanie's grandma moving back to Stephanie's parents' home and what do you think is the implication?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Some of Stephanie's friendship have a history that goes back to a time when Stephanie is a young girl. Some of them at the very least go back to her high school years. Discuss the following:

1. Choose one of Stephanie's longterm friendship and thoroughly analyze it to include why you think it has lasted and if you think it is a relationship that has "depth" to it.

2. What are the advantages of having friendships for many decades?

3. What are the disadvantages of having decades-long friendships?

4. There is a musical round whose first lines are "Make new friends, but keep the old." Do you think this is good advice?

Essay Topic 2

Death occurs several times throughout this rather lighthearted novel. Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze the theme of death throughout the story.

2. In a somewhat farcical novel such as Hot Six, can death be a serious topic? Why or why not? Discuss fully with examples from Hot Six and other literature.

3. Is death more tragic when someone dies unexpectedly young versus someone who dies unexpectedly in their 7th or 8th decade of life? Discuss fully with examples from the book and your own experiences.

Essay Topic 3

Family is an important theme in Hot Six. Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze Stephanie's relationship to her family.

2. Compare Stephanie's relationship to her family to the relationships in the Ramos family.

3. Discuss the attitudes towards family by 5 characters in the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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