View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what state does the story take place?

2. What did the famous writer who lived near the facility die of?

3. In the story, what is the chimney a metaphor for?

4. What story is Tiny telling when the breakfast incident occurs?

5. What name does the narrator's wife call him the last time they spoke?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the character Frank Martin.

2. What is the significance of the call the narrator intends to make to his wife at the end of the story?

3. What are the signs that J.P. is making a recovery?

4. Does the narrator believe that "the guy who travels" actually travels?

5. Is the story sympathetic or not sympathetic to alcoholics, and why?

6. How does J.P. act when he tells the story about his descent into alcoholism?

7. Give an example of a character in the story thinking fatalistically.

8. How do the narrator's two trips to the treatment facility differ?

9. Give an example of hopefulness in the story.

10. Give one example of a character in the story being self-deprecating.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare how humility and arrogance are used in the story.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss why the author uses so many idiomatic expressions (for example, "batting the breeze," "over the hump")? How does the use of idioms reflect the themes of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Nature imagery is prevalent in "Where I'm Calling From," as seen in frequent physical descriptions of place and climate and in the recurring theme of Jack London and his writing. Why did the author choose to emphasize nature? Could the story have been set in a city and pursued the same themes?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 903 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample