Print
Word
PDF
|
| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. In "Café Mort," what is the name of the woman in the white nightgown who claims that she is still alive?
2. In "Café Mort," what attitude is more common among the late-night customers?
3. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what temporarily makes Ned feel safer?
4. In "Boston Common at Twilight," how many times has Ned seen his father since his father broke the news about his separation from their mother?
5. In "Boston Common at Twilight," where is Ned's family home?
Short Essay Questions
1. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what is implied by the last section of the story, that takes place as Ned grows into adulthood?
2. In "Café Mort," what does the narrator mean when, on page 89, she says "It's always an endless night"?
3. In "Café Mort," what does her experience at the café teach the narrator about being "lucky" in life?
4. On page 73 of "Why I Don't Write," what is the effect of the single word change from "I don't read it anymore" to the later item "I don't read anymore"?
5. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what alternative place to stay is available to Ned, and why does he prefer to stay with his aunt?
6. In "Why I Don't Write," what is the page 69 phrase "The thumping far below the floor" an allusion to, and what is its thematic significance?
7. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what television show does Ned secretly watch? Why does he enjoy it?
8. In "Café Mort," what does the narrator need to rid herself of before she can leave the café?
9. In the second paragraph of "Why I Don't Write," what is the implication of the list following the phrase "then it all stops" (65)?
10. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what clues does Minot offer that the woman in the park might be biologically male?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
The significance of borders is always in question in Why I Don't Write: characters feel themselves dissolving or dissociate from their bodies, people struggle to keep the past from intruding on the present, and the boundaries between cultures and the living and the dead are not as clear-cut as we might ordinarily think them to be. Write an essay that takes and defends a position about borders in Minot's collection. Use evidence from at least three stories to support your claims.
Essay Topic 2
Write an essay that analyzes the function of Isabel's character in "While It Lasts." What kind of a person is she? How does she impact Bonnie and George? What does she add to the reader's experience, and why is she included in the story? Support your claims with textual evidence.
Essay Topic 3
Choose one motif in the listed items in "Why I Don't Write." Write an essay that traces the development of this motif and explains how it supports the story's overall theme. Use textual evidence to support your claims.
|
This section contains 989 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
|
