Quiz I'd Like to Play Alone, Please Tom Segura

I'd Like to Play Alone, Please Quiz – 20 Questions

Quiz

Answer the following 20 questions based on Tom Segura's memoir I'd Like to Play Alone, Please. Questions mix multiple‑choice and short‑answer formats. A complete answer key with explanations follows.

Plot / Sequence (Questions 1–8)

  1. (Multiple Choice) In the opening chapter, what does Tom Segura claim his book will reframe?

    • A) The world of paleomagnetism
    • B) The conflict in Gaza
    • C) Human experience
    • D) How to make a pipe bomb

  2. (Multiple Choice) What was Tom Segura’s father’s profession?

    • A) Surgeon
    • B) Retired Marine Captain
    • C) Stand‑up comedian
    • D) Police officer

  3. (Short Answer) What event convinced Tom that he did not want to become a doctor?

  4. (Multiple Choice) On a Delta flight, which comedian did Tom meet who later asked about the Andy Griffith Museum?

    • A) Chris Tucker
    • B) Big Daddy Kane
    • C) Bruce Bruce
    • D) Mike Tyson

  5. (Short Answer) Where did Tom spend his summers as a child and attend an all‑boys Catholic school?

  6. (Short Answer) What was Tom’s son Ellis’s first complete sentence, which also became the book’s title?

  7. (Short Answer) Which drug overdose landed Tom in the ICU during his college years?

  8. (Short Answer) What injury did Tom suffer while attempting a dunk contest against Bert Kreischer?

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

  1. (Multiple Choice) Why did Tom’s father often walk away mid‑conversation?

    • A) He was angry at Tom
    • B) He had a lifelong habit of doing so
    • C) He had hearing problems
    • D) He was distracted by the television

  2. (Short Answer) Why did Tom take pleasure in pointing out his father’s gross behavior to his mother?

  3. (Multiple Choice) Why did Tom stop buying GHB after college?

    • A) He decided to get clean voluntarily
    • B) He ran out and found only weak local supply
    • C) His parents discovered his use
    • D) He was arrested for possession

  4. (Short Answer) Why did Tom leave his job as a researcher for America’s Most Wanted?

  5. (Multiple Choice) Which best explains why Tom chose comedy over football or medicine?

    • A) He lacked genuine commitment to those paths
    • B) He suffered a career‑ending injury
    • C) He failed every academic course
    • D) His parents forbade him from playing football

Theme / Symbol (Questions 14–17)

  1. (Multiple Choice) In the “Lost Wallet” chapter, what does the wallet primarily symbolize?

    • A) The kindness of strangers
    • B) The value of two dollars
    • C) Disappointment and human detachment
    • D) Fate bringing people together

  2. (Multiple Choice) Through his mother’s insistence on eating buttered toast, chicken tenders, and fries while lecturing others on health, what concept does Tom explore?

    • A) Health consciousness
    • B) Cultural authenticity
    • C) Hypocrisy
    • D) Financial constraints

  3. (Multiple Choice) In the “No Fat Chicks” chapter, what theme is examined?

    • A) Body positivity
    • B) Superficiality and double standards in dating
    • C) Healthy eating habits
    • D) The value of friendship

  4. (Multiple Choice) Tom’s many airplane encounters with celebrities such as Bruce Bruce, Chris Tucker, Serena Williams, and Omarion most strongly illustrate which theme?

    • A) The importance of first‑class upgrades
    • B) Tom’s fear of flying
    • C) The randomness of life and the nature of celebrity
    • D) The quality of airline food

Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

  1. (Short Answer) Compare Tom’s expectations when returning the lost wallet to his actual interaction with Justin. What larger lesson does he draw?

  2. (Short Answer) In what ways does Tom’s Peruvian heritage influence his identity as portrayed in the book?

  3. (Multiple Choice) At the end of the “Pick One” chapter, Tom reflects on his son’s sentence “I’d like to play alone, please.” What does this phrase represent as a life philosophy for Tom?

    • A) He wants to become a total hermit
    • B) He values solitude and personal space while still enjoying social connections
    • C) He hates all people and avoids social contact
    • D) He only wants to play video games alone

Answer Key

Plot / Sequence

  1. C) Human experience. In the opening chapter, Tom jokingly says his book will reframe the human experience where Stephen Hawking fell short. The other options are jokes from the book’s epilogue (pipe bomb, paleomagnetism, Gaza).

  2. B) Retired Marine Captain. Tom’s father, Thomas N. Segura, was a retired Marine captain. Surgeons and comedians appear elsewhere in the book but are not his profession.

  3. Witnessing surgeries at the Mayo Clinic, especially a cyst removal. In seventh grade Tom shadowed procedures there and realized he did not want to be a doctor.

  4. C) Bruce Bruce. On a Delta flight upgrade, Tom sat next to Bruce Bruce, who declared Andy Griffith the funniest comedian and asked about the Andy Griffith Museum. Chris Tucker appears in a later flight chapter.

  5. Peru. From age nine, Tom spent summers in Peru attending an all‑boys Catholic school, where he learned to defend himself with words.

  6. “I’d like to play alone, please.” Ellis spoke this full sentence while drawing, and Tom recognized it as a core part of his own personality.

  7. GHB (gamma‑hydroxybutyrate). Tom overdosed on a spiked batch of GHB mixed with alcohol and fake ecstasy, waking in the ICU.

  8. Ruptured patellar tendon and broken arm. While attempting a nine‑foot‑three‑inch dunk, Tom severely injured his leg and arm; the video went viral.

Character Motivation

  1. B) He had a lifelong habit of doing so. Tom’s father routinely walked away mid‑conversation; it was an eccentric trait, not driven by anger or hearing loss.

  2. He enjoyed seeing his mother’s disturbed reaction and hearing her humorous rants. Tom admits he pointed out his father’s grossness to upset his mother, which produced the comedic response he loved.

  3. B) He ran out and found only weak local supply. After a period of heavy use, Tom exhausted his source and encountered weak batches, so he simply stopped buying.

  4. The job was too emotionally heavy; he cried during an interview with a victim and realized he needed to pursue comedy. Tom found the work unbearable and left to perform stand‑up.

  5. A) He lacked genuine commitment to those paths. Tom admits he didn’t have the dedication for football (refusing summer classes) or medicine (disillusioned after shadowing). Comedy became his true pursuit.

Theme / Symbol

  1. C) Disappointment and human detachment. The wallet’s owner, Justin, showed zero gratitude or emotion, teaching Tom that the world is full of disappointment and detached people.

  2. C) Hypocrisy. Tom’s mother lectures others about health while eating a toddler‑like diet of buttered toast and chicken tenders, highlighting her hypocritical nature.

  3. B) Superficiality and double standards in dating. Tom and his comedian friend Phil reveal that both men and women judge potential partners on shallow, arbitrary dealbreakers.

  4. C) The randomness of life and the nature of celebrity. Tom’s unscheduled conversations with famous people on planes consistently defy expectations and show the unpredictability of celebrity interactions.

Synthesis

  1. Tom expected a heartfelt, fateful reunion but received only a flat “Thanks.” The experience taught him that many people are detached and that disappointment is common. The lost wallet chapter explicitly contrasts his fantasy with Justin’s cold reality, reinforcing Tom’s cynical‑yet‑affectionate worldview.

  2. Tom’s Peruvian summers gave him a sense of cultural duality, taught him to use words as weapons when he was bullied, and fostered resilience. The experience also shaped his appreciation for family, food, and his mother’s unfiltered personality. The book shows how those summers influenced his comedic edge.

  3. B) He values solitude and personal space while still enjoying social connections. Tom states he loves being around people but needs to be able to leave when he wants; he is not a recluse. The phrase captures his need for balance.

Further Reading