My Friend Dahmer

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following words best describes Dahmer’s reaction in the Prologue when his peers mock him?

A) Glee

B) Nonchalance

C) Fear

D) Dismay

2. Derf Backderf notes that he “first met Jeff Dahmer in the seventh grade, when the kids from the district’s three elementary schools were stirred together in the hormonal soup that was junior high” (Part 1). Which of the following literary terms does the narrator use in this quote?

A) Simile

B) Metaphor

C) Personification

D) Allusion

3. Which of the following words best describes Dahmer’s countenance during his adolescence?

A) Enraged

B) Docile

C) Warm

D) Stoic

4. Which of the following words best describes how Dahmer reacts to Cindy Zlatka’s death by suicide?

A) Concern

B) Awe

C) Disapproval

D) Inquisitive

5. Upon reflection, how does Backderf view the support mechanisms at his high school for struggling students like Dahmer?

A) Notably intuitive to students’ needs

B) Hyper aware of the misbehavior in older students

C) Increasingly punitive for those individuals who broke any rules

D) Particularly lacking in structure and discipline

6. Which of the following phrases best describes Dahmer’s home environment?

A) Compassionate

B) Dysfunctional

C) Narcissistic

D) Overbearing

7. Watching Dahmer drink sequentially, Backderf notes, “I’d never seen someone drink like that, gulping can after can. My skin crawled as I watched him” (Part 3). Which of the following literary terms does Backderf use in this quote?

A) Allegory

B) Paradox

C) Hyperbole

D) Synecdoche

8. Which of the following phrases best describes the collection of information in this text?

A) A chronological timeline from birth to death

B) A visual representation of the gory images of all the adult victims

C) An interview with the perpetrator regarding motivations for committing the crimes

D) A compilation of recollections and creative representational dialogues

9. Which of the following is a consistent element in Backderf’s life throughout the novel?

A) Narcissism

B) Alcoholism

C) Sexism

D) Racism

10. What can be inferred from the assumption that there was a “[c]ult of Devil Worshippers” (Part 4) in the neighborhood?

A) That many people in the neighborhood practiced Satanism.

B) That an increased number of people had been seen entering the woods.

C) That Dahmer was interested in starting a cult.

D) That there were many cults during the 1970s.

11. Prior to recollecting his friend’s final memory of Dahmer, Backderf sets the scene with the sentence, “Mike was driving home. All we did was drive. There was nothing else to do” (Part 5). Which of the following sentences does this statement link to?

A) The freedom of public transportation in growing cities

B) The ennui of life in suburban America

C) The automobile manufacturing boom in the late 1970s rust belt

D) The pre-college anxiety for youth

12. According to the graphic novel, which of the following actions is common in serial killers?

A) A collection of secret skulls

B) A history of mental health conditions on the father’s side

C) A desire to make as many friends as possible in a short amount of time

D) An interest in stalking strangers as opposed to relatives and acquaintances

13. Which of the following phrases best describes the time period of the novel?

A) Prior to Dahmer’s elementary school

B) During Dahmer’s middle school and high school years

C) Immediately prior to Dahmer’s last murder

D) Beginning during Dahmer’s last years of high school and first years of college

14. Which of the systems does Backderf believe was particularly problematic in identifying early warning signs and overall supporting Dahmer’s mental health?

A) Education system

B) Penitentiary System

C) Judicial System

D) Municipal government system

15. Based on the content of the book, which of the following audiences could this book be recommended to?

A) Those who are interested in the effects of poor access to mental health support.

B) Those who are studying the causes of divorce in unhappy couples.

C) Those who are examining the effects of sexual abuse on teenagers.

D) Those who are connecting the cause of murders with treatment in penitentiary systems.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. In which ways does the graphics of the novel highlight important nuances and key themes that could not be done if this were without graphics?

2. How is the novel structured? What is the timeline of the content?