Test by Theodore Thomas Carsten, Jacob, Paul, Zach

Plot Summary Paul Livingstone

Plot Summary The story takes place in a distant future where they have mastered hypnosis In this world, you must take a hypnosis test in order to obtain a license to drive (G2) Robert seemed very calm throughout the test, which ultimately lead to his downfall Robert failed the test and was told to seek professional help

Literary Devices Carsten McLean

Literary Device #1: Simile “Her voice was as cool as the morning” (Thomas 130)

Literary Device #2: Onomatopoeia “He listened to the smooth purr of the engine” (Thomas 130)

Literary Device #3: Symbolism “As they pulled, his rubber heels slid along the two grooves worn in the floor” (Thomas 132)

Literary Devices #4: Pathetic Fallacy “The sun was bright but not glaring. The air smelled fresh and clean” (130) “[Robert] looked at the gray-haired woman sitting in the front seat with him. Her mouth was curved in a quiet smile. As she watched the trees and fields slip by on her side of the turnpike Robert Procter looked back at the road” (130)

Literary Device #5: Imagery “The sun was bright but not glaring. The air smelled fresh and clean. He breathed in deeply. It was a good day for driving” (Thomas 130)

Conflicts

Conflicts Robert Proctor: Person vs. Society Government runs driving test facility Government assumes Robert has mental health problems “ You’re sick and need treatment.” (Thomas 132) “ Nobody should want to drive a car after going through what you just went through. It should take months before you can even think of driving again.” (Thomas 132) Robert is defenseless because he has no say in what is going on Robert is also not the only defenseless victim of the government “As they pulled, his [Robert] rubber heels slid along the two grooves worn in the floor.” (Thomas 132) http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-conflicts-short-stories-stroyteller-by-saki-377678

Conflicts Robert Proctor: Person vs. Self Robert has trouble sometimes believing he is in the simulation or not “I must still be dreaming. This is all part of the test, isn’t it?” (Thomas 132) This happened after he was told that he failed the test and was told that he would need treatment Robert cannot believe the decision and the way he acted was wrong

Theme Zach Wettig

Theme Nothing is ever as it seems The whole story was a simulation or test, “We hypnotized you to make you think you were in an accident. We do it to everybody these days before they get their driver’s license. Makes better drivers of them”( Thomas 132)

Theme Continued Throughout the whole story we believe Robert was driving with his mother but it was later revealed not to be real and he was just hypnotized to think he was driving but it was just a test.

Additional Information Carsten McLean

Vocabulary Turnpike - A high-speed highway, especially one maintained by tolls Simulation - Imitation of enactment, as of something anticipated or in testing

The End!!