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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 "When in Rome," what does Caleb do for a living?

2. In "When in Rome," how does Caleb say Troy used to finance his drug habit?

3. Who lectures Caleb when he leaves work to meet with Kevin in "When in Rome"?

4. How does Caleb discover that the mugger in "When in Rome" knows his brother?

5. In "When in Rome," how does Caleb say Troy reacted when Kevin was choked?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "In the Basement," what history does the narrator give about Nicholas and Maria's relationship?

2. In "In the Basement," what is kept in a basement?

3. How does John feel at the end of "Middleman"?

4. After leaving Kevin's apartment in "When in Rome," why does Caleb return?

5. In "Middleman," what makes Elsa talk to John?

6. What does the narrator's wife, Carla, say to him at the end of "In the Basement"?

7. In what was are Caleb and Kevin different in "When in Rome"?

8. In "When in Rome," how do Caleb and Kevin react to being mugged?

9. Why do Nicholas and Maria tell the narrator and his wife about Lisa in "In the Basement"?

10. What is the last thing Caleb does in "When in Rome"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The entertainment business acts as a character itself in a few of the stories in this book. Analyze the role of the entertainment business in each of these stories. How does this further the plot, character and theme development? What message is delivered about the entertainment business?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze family as a reoccurring topic and theme in this collection. What role does family play in the individual stories? What is the commentary presented about this topic?

Essay Topic 3

Most of the stories in this collection are centered on male characters and male concerns. How does this focus affect the definitions of gender within the text? What role/roles is/are assigned to women? What commentary on gender appears throughout this collection?

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