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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 robot mice are said to live in "warrens." This means that they live in what?

2. Which is the best descriptor of the mood of the scene in the study, where the poem is read and music plays as a cigar slowly burns down to ash?

3. What is the name of the poem that the house reads after dinner?

4. What causes the house to temporarily "give up" as the fire spreads?

5. What is thematically important about the cause of the fire in the kitchen?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the cleaning mice allude to Cinderella, and what is the purpose of this allusion?

2. In what way is the house's "speech" like nursery rhymes, and what is the purpose of this choice?

3. The garbage disposal in the kitchen is referred to as a "metal throat." What techniques are at use here, and what is their purpose?

4. How does Bradbury use the dates on which the story takes place as a form of foreshadowing?

5. What is the purpose of ending the story with the house fire? Why not just end it with the reading of the Teasdale poem?

6. What is the meaning of the silhouettes on the side of the house?

7. What are the poses of the people in their silhouettes on the side of the house, and why are they important to notice?

8. Describe the image that ends the story and explain its significance.

9. What is the difference between the focus of Teasdale's poem and the focus of Bradbury's short story?

10. What is the likely purpose of including mechanical creatures such as rats and roaches?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose a symbol in "There Will Come Soft Rains" and explain how the symbol is employed. That is, how is it developed, what is its significance, and how does this help convey meaning?

Essay Topic 2

Look up "The McClellan Family Townhome" from Fallout. Once you are familiar with what Fallout is and with this location within the game, write an essay that explains how the details of the Townhome correspond with things described in "There Will Come Soft Rains" and how this is intended to be humorous. Then, give your opinion about whether it actually is funny, and why.

Essay Topic 3

Look again at the passage that begins with "The house was an altar with ten thousand attendants." What metaphor is being developed in this passage, and what is its meaning?

(see the answer keys)

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