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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. Where is the narrator in "Nona" sitting as he considers events in his life?

2. Why is George summoned from his meeting with Greer?

3. What adjective is used to describe the looking glass in "The Reaper's Image"?

4. What is the implication for George at the end of "Gramma"?

5. What does Quentin see when he enters Uncle Otto's house after buying groceries for him?

Short Essay Questions

1. Foreshadowing is when an event early in the story hints at an event to take place later in the story. Find an example of foreshadowing in "The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands." Cite the foreshadowing event and the event it foreshadows.

2. What is an example of a metaphor used in "Beachworld" and what comparison is it trying to convey?

3. Think about the setting of "The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands." How does the setting of this story add to its scary feeling?

4. What is the significance of the opening in "The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands"?

5. There is a rumor in the family that Gramma did something to Franklin to make him die. Do you think the family is just overreacting to their guilt and loss by blaming it on Gramma?

6. What do you think the story "For Owen" is about?

7. What is an example of personification in the story "Beachworld"? How does it affect the story? Explain why you chose this example.

8. Henry encourages a writer who apparently believes in the whimsical creatures about which he writes. Henry begins the encouragement out of amusement and boredom. Do you think the resulting actions leading to the writer's death were what Henry expected to happen?

9. In "Nona," an innocent and once-upstanding man falls prey to the wiles of a sadistic, evil woman. Giving in to his "darker" side, he performs obscene, despicable acts at the whim of Nona. What do you think King is trying to say with this short story?

10. Reg likely suffers from a serious mental illness, yet Henry continues to encourage Reg's fantasies. What do you think was Henry's motivating factor?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The general atmosphere created in a story is often referred to as "tone." Identify the tone of the following short stories and describe how it adds or detracts from the story itself:

1. "The Mist"

2. "The Reaper's Image"

3. "For Owen"

4. Either of the "Milkman" stories

5. "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut"

Essay Topic 2

"Nona" is a story about a man who seems to be under the influence of an odd woman named Nona. Under her influence, he commits murder like he's been doing it all of his life. At the end of the story, Nona turns into a rat and the narrator leaves a suicide note. What do you think King's plot is in this story? Following the winding, sometimes foggy, storyline is at times difficult. What do you think the point of the story is, and what is the point of the narrator's suicide?

Essay Topic 3

The horror genre is one of the most uncomplicated forms of entertainment and is characterized by the author's effort to produce fear in the reader through the use of antagonists such as monsters, ghosts, or even feral animals. The basic concept is the same: the hero must fight against horrific forces for his life and often his soul. Choose one of the stories in "Skeleton Crew" and explain how it fits into the horror genre and how it follows the horror genre formula.

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