Normal Distance Quiz: 20 Questions on Plot, Characters, and Themes

Plot and Sequence Questions (1–8) 1. In “Wild Animals (Normal Distance),” what does the narrator observe while watching silent films in a backyard at night?

A. A raccoon and a baby bunny
B. A bat and a moth
C. A squirrel and a midge
D. A heron and a frog 2. In “Malice & the Unknown,” what happens when William Burroughs suggests a game of William Tell at a party?
A. He shoots his wife in the face from six feet away.
B. He stabs his wife twice.
C. He accidentally sets fire to the room.
D. He misses the glass and hits a window. 3. In “Genealogy,” what does the narrator learn about her father’s Uncle Joe?
A. He died in a plane crash.
B. He was killed by his wife, who was a serial killer.
C. He disappeared in New Mexico.
D. He died of a heart attack. 4. In “Bright & Distant Objects,” what does the narrator misread a headline about?
A. Pigeons growing human hair behind their toes
B. Greyhounds lowering pulse rates
C. A metallic asteroid worth quintillions
D. Human skulls being sold as decorations 5. In “Certain Conditions,” what does the narrator say about the moths that flutter out from under gates and eaves?
A. They are beautiful and calming.
B. They are harmless but make it difficult not to scream.
C. They are poisonous and dangerous.
D. They are invisible and never move. 6. In “The Idea of a Meadow,” what is the narrator’s relationship to the meadow she describes?
A. She is standing in the middle of it.
B. She owns it and tends it.
C. She is not in it, and it does not belong to her.
D. She is viewing it from a distant mountain. 7. In “Mirror, Mirror,” what happens to the man in the fire?
A. He saves his wife but loses his memory.
B. He fails to recognize his wife, who appears naked and shoeless.
C. He dies in the flames.
D. He escapes but is badly burned. 8. In “Dramedy,” what does the speaker say about asking for help while suffering?
A. She always asks for help immediately.
B. She does not ask for help because she fears others will try to take her pain away.
C. She asks for help only from close friends.
D. She believes help is useless.

Character Motivation Questions (9–13) 9. In “About Suffering,” why does the author say people become lyrical when suffering?

A. Because suffering is rare and special.
B. Because suffering is inevitable and one must suffer for beauty.
C. Because they want attention.
D. Because they are trying to impress others. 10. In “New Theories on Boredom,” what does the narrator conclude about fascination and boredom?
A. Boredom is always bad.
B. Fascination is impossible to achieve.
C. If she is not fascinated, she is bored.
D. Boredom is a sign of intelligence. 11. In “Jealousy Is the Gin,” why does the narrator decline to buy a new car after totaling hers?
A. She cannot afford it.
B. She thinks she might die before it is paid off and likes the idea of her corpse having debts.
C. She prefers to walk.
D. She is waiting for a better model. 12. In “Madness,” what does the speaker say about hope?
A. Hope is a bright light in the sky.
B. Hope is the dark portion of morning, associated with trees.
C. Hope is a form of madness.
D. Hope is always false. 13. In “You Don’t Get to Decide How to Feel About Not Having Free Will,” what does the narrator argue with her husband about?
A. Whether the moon affects tides.
B. Whether there are clouds or trees.
C. Whether squirrels feel fear.
D. Whether experiences belong to a person.

Theme and Symbol Questions (14–17) 14. In “The Idea of Beginning,” what does the crow’s black colour symbolize according to the book the narrator receives?

A. Death
B. Beginning
C. Mystery
D. Wisdom 15. In “The Vagueness of the Moment,” what does the speaker say about monoliths?
A. Things are not monoliths.
B. Everything is a monolith, a wave that never collapses.
C. Monoliths are rare and sacred.
D. Monoliths are only found in deserts. 16. In “Bright & Distant Objects,” what does the narrator say about desires after death?
A. They disappear completely.
B. They are the real without feeling—desires with no one to want them.
C. They are fulfilled by survivors.
D. They become meaningless. 17. In “That It Is Folly to Measure Truth & Error by Our Own Capacity,” what does the author say about success?
A. Success is a kind of failure.
B. Success is the opposite of failure.
C. Success is always deserved.
D. Success is a form of luck.

Synthesis Questions (18–20) 18. How does the book connect boredom with the experience of time?

1. In what ways do animals (bats, moths, raccoons, bunnies, squirrels) appear in the book to reflect on human emotions or perceptions?
1. What does the recurring motif of mirrors and reflection suggest about identity and self-knowledge in the book?

Answer Key

1. B – In “Wild Animals,” the narrator is distracted by a bat’s erratic flight and a moth made bright in the projector light.

2. A – Burroughs shot his wife in the face from six feet away during a William Tell game; she died.

3. B – The narrator learns that Uncle Joe was killed by his wife, who was a serial killer who poisoned him with arsenic.

4. A – She misreads the headline as meaning pigeons were growing human hair behind their toes, which sickens her with fear.

5. B – The moths are harmless, yet the narrator says it is difficult not to scream when they flutter out.

6. C – The narrator is not in the meadow and affirms that the meadow is not hers.

7. B – The man in the fire does not recognize his wife, who appears naked and shoeless with a darkened mouth.

8. B – The speaker says she does not ask for help because she is afraid others will try to take her pain away.

9. B – The author states that suffering is inevitable and that one must suffer for beauty, which explains why people become lyrical.

10. C – The narrator concludes that if she is not fascinated, she is bored.

11. B – She declines to buy a new car because she thinks she might die before it is paid off and likes the idea of her corpse having debts.

12. B – Hope is described as the dark portion of morning, associated with trees rather than the sky.

13. B – The narrator argues with her husband, who claims there are no clouds or trees, while she insists she sees a tree.

14. B – The book about symbols states that the crow’s black colour associates it with beginning.

15. B – The speaker asserts that everything is a monolith, a wave that never collapses.

16. B – Posthumous desires are described as “the real without feeling”—desires with no one to want them.

17. A – The author writes that success is a kind of failure.

18. The book suggests that boredom can be a form of slow interest (as in “New Theories on Boredom”) and that time itself is indifferent or has no normal rate (as in “Dramedy”). Boredom may also make life feel longer, as noted in “About Suffering.”

19. Animals often serve as triggers for reflection on threat, fear, and perception. For example, the narrator imagines a baby bunny might be rabid, and she notes that a little threat is necessary for happiness. The squirrel missing a jump raises questions about animal time and fear. Moths provoke a scream despite being harmless.

20. Mirrors and reflection appear in “Mirror, Mirror” and “That It Is Folly…” to question identity and self-knowledge. The narrator notes her mirror image is twice as far away as the mirror, and the man in the fire fails to recognize his wife, suggesting that recognition and self-perception are unreliable. The motif underscores the book’s broader theme of misrecognition and the limits of knowing oneself or others.