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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. "The Tombling Day" deals with activities that take place in which location?

2. What is the name of the protagonist in "A Piece of Wood?"

3. What word best describes the physical appearance of the woman?

4. "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed" symbolically represents which of the following:

5. What word is used to describe the act of raising someone from a grave?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is unusual about the parrot in "The Parrot Who Met Papa?" What happens to the parrot?

2. Why is Joseph resentful toward Marie in "Interval in Sunlight?"

3. In "The Day It Rained Forever" three friends complain at the severe heat while waiting for a specific event to occur. What is the event? When is it due to occur?

4. In the story "The Aqueduct" how does a third party benefit from a war between two other nations?

5. What is the reaction of the people when a girl talks about a woman being buried alive in "The Screaming Woman?"

6. Explain why the actions of the boy in "Have I Got a Chocolate Bar for You!" may seem odd to a bystander.

7. In "The Best of All Possible Worlds," two men meet on a commuter train.

8. In "The Happiness Machine" Leo Auffmann invents a happiness machine. Describe the machine and was it does for the users. Also examine the opinion of Mrs. Auffmann.

9. Discuss the life span of the characters in "Frost and Fire" and why it is unusual.

10. In "The Terrible Conflagration up at the Place" a group of people decide to burn the lord's home as a sign of political protest. Why is the plan to burn the lord's home discarded?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write full and detailed character descriptions of five of Bradbury's main characters. Compare and contrast their personalities and how they react under pressure. How are they alike? What are the biggest differences?

Essay Topic 2

Children are routinely portrayed as innocents. Unfortunately, that also means that children in many of the stories are discounted or disbelieved, particularly if the stories they tell are fantastic. Some examples include "Homecoming," "The Screaming Woman," and "Black Ferris." Discuss Bradbury's use of children in his stories, why they are important, and how the characters add a new dimension to the other characters as well as the plots.

Essay Topic 3

Exploitation is another popular theme in Bradbury's work. List at least three examples of exploitation in the stories. Explain in detail the purpose, method, and execution of each story. How many different types of exploitation are used? Explain.

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