A Carnival of Snackery Quiz: 20 Questions About David Sedaris’s Diaries
Welcome to the companion quiz for David Sedaris’s A Carnival of Snackery. The questions below test recall, inference, and insight across every chapter—from the 2003 opening to the pandemic year of 2020. Ready to see how well you know Sedaris’s world of mice, litter, curious strangers, and family friction?
For additional study aids, visit the main book page, the questions and answers page, or the ending explained.
Quiz Questions
Plot and Sequence (Questions 1–8)
1. In what year does the volume’s first chapter of diary entries begin?
- A. 2002
- B. 2003
- C. 2004
- D. 2005
2. What major event does Sedaris record in his diary entry of July 8, 2005, while he is in Paris? (Short answer)
3. Which activity becomes an obsessive daily habit for Sedaris starting in 2010, especially while he is in the UK?
- A. Feeding foxes
- B. Litter picking
- C. Studying Japanese
- D. Gardening
4. In the 2013 chapter, which of Sedaris’s siblings dies suddenly? (Short answer)
5. In 2015, Sedaris has lunch at the White House. Which president does he meet?
- A. George W. Bush
- B. Barack Obama
- C. Donald Trump
- D. Joe Biden
6. What political event in 2016 leaves Sedaris shocked and changes the tone of his entries? (Short answer)
7. In 2018, Sedaris dreads an upcoming medical procedure. What is it?
- A. Colonoscopy
- B. Cystoscopy
- C. Kidney stone removal
- D. Laser skin peel
8. What global crisis dominates Sedaris’s 2020 diary entries? (Short answer)
Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)
9. Why does Sedaris begin begging for money at his book signings in June 2005?
- A. He wants to test the generosity of his fans.
- B. His bank card stops working and he has no cash.
- C. His publisher suggests it as a publicity stunt.
- D. He loses his wallet during the Alaska tour.
10. What motivates Sedaris’s compulsive litter‑picking in West Sussex?
- A. A desire for daily exercise
- B. A childhood habit he never broke
- C. Civic responsibility and a need for order
- D. To impress his partner Hugh
11. In 2012, Sedaris’s father Lou votes for Amendment 1. What does this amendment do? (Short answer)
12. Why does Sedaris decide to quit smoking and study Japanese in 2006?
- A. His doctor warns him of health risks.
- B. He wants to prepare for an upcoming trip to Japan.
- C. Hugh gives him an ultimatum.
- D. A New Year’s resolution to change his life.
13. In 2005, Sedaris considers buying a human skeleton for Hugh but ultimately decides not to. What is his main objection? (Short answer)
Theme and Symbol (Questions 14–17)
14. The Author’s Note mentions hundreds of entries about mice. In the context of Sedaris’s diaries, what does the mouse motif most often represent?
- A. Creative inspiration
- B. The persistence of domestic annoyances
- C. Themes of travel and displacement
- D. Mortality and decay
15. The book’s title A Carnival of Snackery is taken from a menu item. What larger theme does this phrase capture?
- A. The joy of snacking
- B. The importance of humor in daily life
- C. The absurdity and excess of consumer culture
- D. The carnivalesque nature of public performances
16. In the Author’s Note, Sedaris says he has left out many offensive jokes. What theme does this editorial choice highlight? (Short answer)
17. The relationship between Sedaris and his father Lou is examined throughout the book. Which of the following best characterizes that dynamic?
- A. Close and affectionate
- B. Unresolved conflict over politics and identity
- C. Mutual indifference
- D. Competitive rivalry
Synthesis (Questions 18–20)
18. Compare Sedaris’s reaction to the 2016 presidential election with his reaction to the 2020 pandemic. How does his diary tone shift between these two crises? (Short answer)
19. In the Author’s Note, Sedaris states that he prefers “odd street encounters over political commentary.” How does the diary format help him achieve this preference? (Short answer)
20. Sedaris’s awareness of aging and mortality grows throughout the volume. Provide two specific diary entries (one from 2010 and one from 2018) that illustrate this theme. (Short answer)
Answer Key
Plot and Sequence
1. B. 2003 – The first diary chapter begins with entries from 2003, covering life in London and Paris.
2. The London bombings (July 7, 2005). Sedaris notes that bombs went off in London and he watches the news coverage from Paris.
3. B. Litter picking – Starting in 2010, Sedaris records daily reports of cans, bottles, and household trash he collects in the UK.
4. Tiffany. Sedaris learns of his sister Tiffany’s sudden death via a payphone while on tour in 2013.
5. B. Barack Obama. In 2015, Sedaris is invited to a White House lunch where he sees President Obama.
6. The election of Donald Trump. Sedaris’s 2016 entries express shock and dark humor at Trump’s victory.
7. B. Cystoscopy. A urologist finds his prostate “harder than it should be,” leading to a camera procedure.
8. The COVID‑19 pandemic. Sedaris records mask‑wearing, hoarding, George Floyd protests, and his father’s COVID diagnosis.
Character Motivation
9. B. His bank card stops working. In June 2005, four ATMs reject his card, so Sedaris starts asking for money at signings and collects $243 his first night.
10. C. Civic responsibility and a need for order. The outline lists “littering and civic responsibility” as a key concept; Sedaris often writes about cleaning up others’ trash.
11. It bans gay marriage in North Carolina. Sedaris’s father reveals he voted for the amendment, deepening the family rift.
12. B. He wants to prepare for an upcoming trip to Japan. The outline states he quits smoking and studies Japanese “framing the upcoming Japan trip as a fresh start.”
13. Practical concerns about how to wrap it. In the 2005 diary, Sedaris wonders, “how do you wrap it?” referring to the skeleton of a dead human.
Theme and Symbol
14. B. The persistence of domestic annoyances. Sedaris notes mice appear in his home, yard, restaurants, and even on vacation, symbolizing the trivial irritations of everyday life.
15. C. The absurdity and excess of consumer culture. The phrase comes from an Indian restaurant menu offering “a carnival of snackery,” reflecting the book’s focus on bizarre consumerism.
16. Self‑censorship and changing social tolerance. Sedaris acknowledges that times have changed and he omits jokes that would draw hate mail.
17. B. Unresolved conflict over politics and identity. From the 2012 gay‑marriage amendment to Trump‑supporting commentary, Sedaris and his father remain at odds.
Synthesis
18. In 2016, Sedaris reacts with shock and dark humor, focusing on political division. In 2020, his tone turns more introspective, grappling with privilege, family caregiving, and the absurdity of life under lockdown. Both years use irony, but the pandemic entries are quieter and more personally reflective.
19. The diary format captures spontaneous, trivial encounters without a narrative arc. By recording fleeting moments—an odd comment at a signing, a rude driver, a strange consumer product—Sedaris stays true to his stated preference for “odd street encounters” over sustained political analysis.
20. In 2010, a young man offers him a seat on the London Tube for the first time, signaling his advancing age. In 2018, Sedaris undergoes a cystoscopy and reflects on medical anxiety and mortality. Both entries show his growing awareness of bodily decline.