WorksheetsQuiz: Where Is Here? by Joyce Carol Oates
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 8mins
What is the main conflict in the story?
The father and mother argue about their children’s future
A stranger revisits his childhood home, unsettling the current family
The son and daughter want to move to a new house
The mother wants to sell the house against the father’s wishes
Which of the following best describes the stranger’s behavior?
Cheerful and carefree
Nervous and unsettling
Cold and unfriendly
Logical and persuasive
What theme is most strongly conveyed in the story?
Childhood dreams always shape adulthood
The past cannot be revisited without consequence
Kindness will always be rewarded
Families should never allow visitors into their homes
Why does the mother eventually invite the stranger inside?
She thinks he is wealthy
She feels pity for him
She wants to prove the house is beautiful
She recognizes him from her past
What is the effect of the father’s comment, “I hate riddles—they’re moronic some of the time and obscure the rest of the time”?
It shows the father's frustration and confusion, highlighting the story's theme of uncertainty and the unknown.
It demonstrates the father's love for riddles and puzzles.
It reveals the father's excitement about solving mysteries.
It indicates the father's indifference to the situation.
Which figurative language device is used in describing the chandelier’s lights dispersing shadows “like ragged ghosts”?
Simile
Metaphor
Hyperbole
Personification
The stranger’s request to see the basement at the end of the story most likely symbolizes:
His desire to hide from the family
A deeper exploration of hidden memories and trauma
His interest in the family’s belongings
His need for a private place to rest
The tone of the story can best be described as:
Warm and nostalgic
Uneasy and suspenseful
Optimistic and uplifting
Humorous and playful
What inference can be made about the stranger’s past?
He had a happy childhood in the house
He suffered disturbing or traumatic experiences there
His family sold the house because they were wealthy
He wanted to return to live in the house permanently
What does the father’s reaction to the stranger suggest about his personality?
He is reckless and carefree
He is cautious and protective of his family
He is open-minded and trusting
He is rude and cruel
Vocabulary: What does gregarious most nearly mean as used in the story?
Outgoing and sociable
Quiet and timid
Angry and impatient
Careful and thoughtful
What does stoical mean as used to describe the stranger?
Emotionless and indifferent
Calm and accepting of suffering
Overjoyed and excitable
Secretive and mysterious
What literary technique does Oates use when the stranger recalls riddles like, “What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at midday, three legs in the evening?”
Foreshadowing
Allusion
Irony
Imagery
What is the author’s purpose in writing this story?
To inform readers about Gothic houses in literature
To entertain with a suspenseful, eerie narrative
Which statement best summarizes the story?
A family enjoys dinner after meeting a polite stranger.
A stranger revisits his childhood home, causing unease and raising questions about memory, trauma, and the passage of time.
A boy befriends a mysterious man who teaches him mathematics.
A father teaches his children about caution when dealing with visitors.
