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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. Who are the main characters of Chapter 31?

2. Why does David feel he did not live fully in his youth in Chapter 22?

3. In Chapter 30, where does Sylvanshine get the facts from that he shares with Reynolds?

4. In Chapter 30, what stands out most to Sylvanshine about Glendenning?

5. What does David first talk about in the beginning of Chapter 22?

Short Essay Questions

1. What task is the narrator given by Gary Manshardt in Chapter 35?

2. In Chapter 22, what details does David give to explain his parents' divorce?

3. Why doesn't David exit the van in Chapter 24 with the other people?

4. In Chapter 27, what worries Cusk most about his training?

5. How do IRS workers know of the phantoms?

6. In Chapter 27, what surprises Cusk when he returns from his break?

7. What is Chapter 25 about?

8. In Chapter 27, why is the word "profitable" not used officially?

9. What is the relationship between the Peoria REC and Martinsburg?

10. In Chapter 22, why does David take a long time getting to the train?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Even though this novel has many characters, what makes David the protagonist of this novel? Compare his role in the novel to definitions of protagonists. How can a protagonist still exist in such a disjointed novel?

Essay Topic 2

What is the effect of the loosely connected characters of "The Pale King" on the development of the plot? What is the relationship between plot and characterization?

Essay Topic 3

Knowing that "The Pale King" is unfinished, how does this influence the novel? What impact does this have on the development of the plot and the characters? How does the inclusion of author notes influence these things?

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