“The Shocking Accident”



“The Shocking Accident”

Graham Greene

Short answer questions

1. In “A Shocking Accident,” the young Jerome is told by his housemaster that his father was killed when a pig fell on him. Why does the housemaster have such difficulty conveying this news to Jerome?

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2.  How does Jerome’s question “What happened to the pig? in “A Shocking Accident” suggest Greene’s  belief that life is basically absurd?

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3.  Based on how embarked is used in the sentence from “A Shocking Accident,” select the correct definition for it. Explain your answer choice.

    …it pained him when his aunt embarked with strangers on the story of his father’s death.

a. share an idea                c. disagreed in principle

b. set out to tell                d. changed the subject

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4.  Why does Jerome rehearse two different versions of the story of his father’s death in “A Shocking Accident”? Explain your answer choice.

a.    Jerome wants to find a way to minimize the humor in the story of his father’s death.

b.    Jerome wants to find a version of the story that will contradict his aunt’s version.

c.    Jerome wants to find a version of the story that will memorialize his father.

d.    Jerome wants to hide the true story from Sally.

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Multiple Choice

6.  In “A Shocking Accident,” why does it pain Jerome to hear his aunt tell strangers the story of his father’s death? ____________

a.    He is embarrassed by the story.

b.    He resents his aunt because his father favored her.

c.    He feels his aunt does not cherish his father’s memory as he does.

d.    He wants to tell the story himself.

7.  Which detail from “A Shocking Accident” supports the notion that life is absurd? __________

a.    Jerome attended “a rather expensive preparatory school.”

b.    Jerome keeps an album filled with postcards he received from his father.

c.    Jerome rehearsed methods of relating the bizarre details of his father’s death.

d.    Jerome worries that Sally might laugh at his story.

8. Why might someone laugh inappropriately?

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