Short story test review

English 9

Mr. Hansen

Short Stories covered on this test:

  • The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (pg. 124)
  • The Necklace (pg. 294)
  • Popular Mechanics (handout)
  • The Most Dangerous Game (pg. 215)
  • The Gift of the Magi (pg. 246)
  • The Red-Headed League (pg. 1067)
  • The Lottery (handout)

For each story, be able to identify

  • Two most important characters
  • Setting
  • Point of view
  • Conflict
  • Resolution of the conflict

Literary techniques assessed on the test

  • Allegory
  • Characterization
  • Direct
  • Indirect
  • Character types
  • Flat
  • Round
  • Static
  • Dynamic
  • Foreshadowing vs. Suspense
  • Imagery
  • Irony
  • Dramatic
  • Situational
  • Verbal
  • Point of view
  • First person
  • Third person limited
  • Third person omniscient
  • Show me vs. Tell me

Format for the test: The test will consist of 8-10 short answer essays. Short answer essays are preferred as a paragraph, or 5-8 sentences per response. The questions will come in two varieties:

  1. Quote identification. Identify quotations from the stories. For each quotation, you will need to:
  2. Write the title of the story that the quotation comes from
  3. Identify significant literary techniques used in the quotation
  4. Literary technique identification. For these questions, you will need to apply your understanding of a literary technique to a particular story.

Possible test questions

  1. Define allegory and identify the use of allegory in one of the stories we read. Explain how that story is an allegory for another story or real event.
  2. Be prepared to choose from a list of characters that you can indirectly and directlycharacterize. In other words, from a list of five characters, choose two to directly and indirectly characterize.
  3. Identify the story that a particular quotation comes from. Be able to identify an example of direct characterization and indirect characterization in the quotation.
  4. What is the difference between a static character and a dynamic character? Be able to identify the static and dynamic characters in the stories.
  5. What is the difference between a round and a flat character? Be able to identify the round and flat characters from the stories.
  6. Define suspense and foreshadowing. Give an example of foreshadowing from a story we read and an example of suspense from the stories.
  7. Identify the story that a particular quotation comes from. Then, be able to identify the significant imagery in the passage. You may also be asked to identify any significant foreshadowing or symbols in the passage, too.
  8. Identify the three types of discussed irony. Give examples of all three types of irony. Identify the stories that include ironic endings. How is each ending ironic?
  9. Which stories are told in the first person perspective? Which stories are told in the third person limited or omniscient perspective? How does the use of first or third person perspective affect each story?
  10. What is the difference between Show Me and Tell Mewriting? What are the strengths of both writings? Why would an author choose to employ one over the other?