Quiz Congratulations, the Best is Over! R. Eric Thomas

Congratulations, the Best is Over! Quiz – Test Your Knowledge

How well do you know R. Eric Thomas’s essay collection Congratulations, the Best is Over!? This 20-question quiz covers plot details, character motivations, recurring symbols, and big-picture themes. Each question appears in either multiple‑choice or short‑answer format. After the final question, you’ll find a complete answer key with brief explanations. Use the book’s chapter outline to check your answers—no spoilers beyond the published essays.

Questions

Q1 (Multiple choice – plot/sequence)
What event disrupts Eric and David’s moving day from Philadelphia to Baltimore?
A) A sudden rainstorm that floods the moving truck
B) The moving company’s truck breaks down
C) David’s car runs out of gas on the highway
D) Eric forgets to pack the address book

Q2 (Short answer – character motivation)
Why does David decide to sit defiantly outside the hospital window after the charge nurse blocks him from the triage area?

Q3 (Multiple choice – plot/sequence)
During the hike at Black Butte, what does David build at the summit?
A) A stone altar
B) A cairn
C) A small bonfire
D) A shelter from branches

Q4 (Multiple choice – theme/symbol)
The Mylar balloon Eric finds at his maternal grandparents’ grave reads “You Rock!” This balloon most directly symbolizes:
A) The author’s lifelong love of pop music
B) An unexpected flicker of hope in the midst of grief
C) A reminder to exercise more
D) A message from a stranger who lost the same balloon

Q5 (Short answer – synthesis)
How does the epigraph’s line from Mrs. Peacock in Clue (“I’m going to enjoy this”) connect to Eric’s attempt to “become the host of his life” in the essay “Oh My, This Soup’s Delicious, Isn’t It?”

Q6 (Multiple choice – plot/sequence)
At the homegoing service, Eric is mistaken for which local professional?
A) A chef
B) A sommelier
C) A doctor
D) A real estate agent

Q7 (Multiple choice – character motivation)
Eric agrees to go on the fishing trip with David and his father Rick primarily because:
A) He loves fishing and wants to catch the biggest salmon
B) He wants to impress Rick and become part of the family
C) He needs material for a new essay about nature
D) David threatened to cancel their engagement if he refused

Q8 (Short answer – plot/sequence)
What shocking item does Eric find inside the open house he visits with his family as a child?

Q9 (Multiple choice – theme/symbol)
In the essay “Break Room Cake Communion,” the break room cake serves as a symbol of:
A) Office politics and unhealthy eating habits
B) The secret bonds formed among co‑workers in stifling work environments
C) The author’s favorite dessert recipe
D) The decline of small businesses

Q10 (Short answer – character motivation)
Why does Eric withdraw $1,000 and buy baseball bats, flashlights, and an axe just before Election Night 2020?

Q11 (Multiple choice – plot/sequence)
What does David silently begin digging in the backyard during late winter 2021?
A) A vegetable garden
B) A large pond
C) A fire pit
D) A new foundation for a shed

Q12 (Multiple choice – theme/symbol)
The rainbow that appears at the end of “God in the Machine” most directly symbolizes:
A) The diversity of the neighborhood
B) A promise of hope and divine presence amid loss
C) The author’s love of color coordination
D) A weather forecast predicting clearer skies

Q13 (Short answer – synthesis)
The book’s title Congratulations, the Best is Over! appears in the essay of the same name. How does that title’s irony relate to Eric’s decision to buy a house in the suburbs during the pandemic?

Q14 (Multiple choice – plot/sequence)
At the end of “Rainbow Connection,” what do Eric and David watch together by the pond?
A) Fireflies
B) A meteor shower
C) A family of ducks
D) The neighbor’s dog

Q15 (Multiple choice – character motivation)
During the therapy sessions, Eric reacts with alarm then laughter when Brian forgets to change the Office meme on his computer. This moment reveals that:
A) Eric only uses therapy for free memes
B) Both men are invested in their therapeutic relationship
C) Brian is not a good therapist
D) Eric prefers the TV show Parks and Recreation

Q16 (Short answer – plot/sequence)
What item does Eric find while digging in the yard that gives him a sense of accomplishment after he uses it to build a path?

Q17 (Multiple choice – theme/symbol)
In “Jericho,” the police officer’s hand on her gun forces Eric to perform harmlessness. This encounter illustrates the concept of:
A) Double consciousness
B) Cognitive dissonance
C) The bystander effect
D) Stockholm syndrome

Q18 (Short answer – character motivation)
Why does Eric originally dismiss homeownership as “white nonsense” before David shows him the suburban house?

Q19 (Multiple choice – synthesis)
Which of the following best explains why the author includes the anecdote about the magician’s trick in the Author’s Note?
A) To prove that he can write about magic shows
B) To show how a simple moment of wonder shifted his creative process from humorous essays to a bolder work about transformation
C) To compare his book tour to a magic trick
D) To criticize NPR for poor audio descriptions

Q20 (Short answer – plot/sequence)
What is the name of the painting Eric and David buy in Provincetown, and what does the title mean to them?

Answer Key

  1. B) The moving company’s truck breaks down.
    Explanation: In “This Is Wudder,” the scam movers arrive late and then the truck breaks down, forcing Eric and David to haul boxes overnight.

  2. He explains that Black patients’ pain is often under‑assessed, so he refuses to leave Eric alone.
    Explanation: In “Oh My, This Soup’s Delicious, Isn’t It?,” David’s advocacy arises from the reality of healthcare bias; he sits outside the window to stay near Eric.

  3. B) A cairn.
    Explanation: In “You Said You Outside, but You Ain’t That Outside,” David builds a cairn at the summit as a marker of journey, struggle, and divine encounter.

  4. B) An unexpected flicker of hope in the midst of grief.
    Explanation: In “You Rock,” Eric visits the grave while depressed and finds the balloon; the chapter ends with a note of hope and community.

  5. Mrs. Peacock’s determination to enjoy a confusing situation mirrors Eric’s decision to host—to choose joy and connection despite feeling lonely in a new city.
    Explanation: The epigraph sets the theme of chosen joy in uncertain times, and Eric tries to channel that attitude when he attempts to befriend neighbors.

  6. B) A sommelier.
    Explanation: In “Maybe Going Back Again,” Eric is mistaken for a local sommelier and receives free wine, though he doesn’t get genuine connection.

  7. B) He wants to impress Rick and become part of the family.
    Explanation: In “The Invitation,” Eric struggles with seasickness but continues fishing to show his willingness to integrate, and he tells Rick he is having a wonderful time.

  8. Nazi memorabilia (a shelf of Nazi badges, Confederate money, and a flag).
    Explanation: In “Congratulations, the Best Is Over!,” Eric recalls the open house where the owner’s collection included Nazi items.

  9. B) The secret bonds formed among co‑workers in stifling work environments.
    Explanation: In “Break Room Cake Communion,” the cake is a symbol of community and connection in the silent, rule‑bound law firm.

  10. Out of anxiety over white nationalism and the potential for post‑election violence.
    Explanation: In “Determined to Enjoy Myself,” Eric preps for survival because of his fear of white nationalist unrest, even though he initially said he didn’t want to survive the apocalypse.

  11. B) A large pond.
    Explanation: In “Soft Ground: An Interlude,” David silently digs a pond to relieve pandemic stress, which later becomes the “Amphibian Gay Bar.”

  12. B) A promise of hope and divine presence amid loss.
    Explanation: The rainbow from Noah’s Ark story appears at the end of “God in the Machine” after Rick’s death, offering a symbol of promise.

  13. The irony suggests that the “best” (city life, pre‑pandemic freedom) is over, but buying the house represents a new beginning despite loss and upheaval.
    Explanation: The essay juxtaposes the chaos of 2020 with the purchase of a suburban home, reframing the phrase as an acceptance of change.

  14. A) Fireflies.
    Explanation: In “Rainbow Connection,” Eric and David sit by the pond watching fireflies, rekindling hope for the community‑filled yard they imagined.

  15. B) Both men are invested in their therapeutic relationship.
    Explanation: The shared joke about Office memes becomes a bond; when Brian forgets to change it, Eric’s reaction shows they care about the routine.

  16. Twenty‑seven pieces of buried slate (from the previous owner’s landscaping).
    Explanation: In “Hostas Negotiator,” Eric excavates the slate and builds a path, which gives him a profound sense of accomplishment.

  17. A) Double consciousness.
    Explanation: In “Jericho,” Eric must perform harmlessness to survive the encounter, reflecting the Black experience of navigating a white‑supremacist society.

  18. He had a long‑standing aversion to the suburbs, viewing them as quiet, dark, and terrifying—and he associated homeownership with a white, conformist ideal.
    Explanation: In “Congratulations, the Best Is Over!,” Eric describes his opposition to suburbs and his dismissal of owning a house as “white nonsense,” though he later changes his mind.

  19. B) To show how a simple moment of wonder shifted his creative process from humorous essays to a bolder work about transformation.
    Explanation: In the Author’s Note, Thomas recounts hearing a magician’s trick on the radio and feeling awe, which inspired him to write a book centered on transformation.

  20. “Hope.” The title represents their renewed commitment to presence and constant beginnings.
    Explanation: In “It’s Called Hope,” Eric and David independently choose the painting, and its name reinforces the book’s theme of hope amid change.