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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 street does Mrs. Worthington live on?

2. Who was the Greek statesman and orator that supposedly had put pebbles in his mouth to overcome stuttering?

3. How does Little Man say he busted Rat's lip on the last day of sixth grade?

4. How old does Little Man say he will be when his father will buy him a shotgun and take him hunting?

5. What kind of store does Rat's father own?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Little Man encounter when he goes to Mrs. Worthington's home for newspaper payment collection in Chapter 6?

2. What role does Mam serve in Little Man's life? How would you describe the relationship between Mam and Little Man?

3. How does Little Man say he is relating the story of the stabbing in Chapter 1? Why is he relating the story in this manner?

4. Why have Little Man's parents decided to take Little Man to a restaurant to eat in Chapter 7? How does he feel about this proposition?

5. What plans does Little Man make with his father in Chapter 8? What becomes of the plans?

6. What are Little Man's first impressions of Mrs. Worthington? How does he meet Mrs. Worthington?

7. What does Little Man discover on his birth certificate in Chapter 7? How does he respond to this information?

8. What do Little Man and Mr. Spiro discuss during Little Man's visit in Chapter 8?

9. What is the second "clue" that Mr. Spiro gives to Little Man in Chapter 5? What does Little Man make of the clue?

10. What is foreshadowed by Little Man's observance of Big Sack watching him from the alley in Chapter 8?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Little Man lose his yellow-handled knife? Why is it so important for Little Man to get his knife back? Whose help does Little Man elicit in retrieving his knife?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the themes of isolation, embarrassment, and alienation in Paperboy. How are these themes embodied by Little Man? How does Little Man grow and evolve past his isolation in the course of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the character of Big Sack in the novel. How does Big Sack know Mam? What does Big Sack do for a living? What role does Big Sack play in the plot of the narrative?

(see the answer keys)

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