Examination Day

Why does the exam center use truth serum when it administers the test? What real-world practice might it refer to? How does it address the theme of The Moral Cost of Enforced Conformity?

Is “Examination Day” written in a formal or informal diction? How does this contribute to the tone of the work overall?

Describe the importance of gender in this story. What can be deduced about the roles of men and women in this society? How does this relate to the story’s overall message about totalitarianism?

Compare and contrast the Jordans’ feelings about the exam and how they express those feelings. How do their responses conform to gender stereotypes?

The Jordans are, presumably, a white middle-class family. How does this relate to real-world eugenics programs in the US and elsewhere in the 20th century?

Why do Mr. and Mrs. Jordan submit to the totalitarian rule of the Government despite its harsh practices? How does this relate to the theme of Intelligence as a Liability in Authoritarian Regimes?

How is Dickie’s relationship to his parents analogous to his parents’ relationship to the Government?

Compare and contrast “Examination Day” by Henry Slesar with Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron.” What themes and narrative elements do they share? What marks their differences?