Daniel Handler: The Basic Eight Trivia Quiz | Literature

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. First one's an easy one: the phrase "The Basic Eight" describes:

Answer: a clique of students

"The Basic Eight" was first used to refer to Flannery Culp and her immediate circle of friends while making plans for a dinner party. Flannery states she was never comfortable with the term.

2. What were Roewer High School's colours?

Answer: Red and Purple

Flannery and Natasha try to find pencils in the school colours while buying supplies for the new academic year. Flannery is almost relieved not to have found them.
Purple and Gold were my high school's colours.

3. Which class is not on Flannery's schedule?

Answer: Chemistry

Her classes: Homeroom, Calculus, American Poetry, Choir, Lunch, Applied Civics, Advanced Bio, French Seven. Flannery mentions twice she passed over Chemistry to take Biology, taught by the ill-fated James Carr.

4. What mythological creature does Flannery compare Principal Bodin's receptionist with?

Answer: Hydra

The hydra was many-headed serpent that grew two new heads to replace one that was cut off. In "Heathers", when Heather Duke assumes the deceased Heather Chandler's role at the school, Veronica Sawyer writes "I've cut off Heather Chandler's head and Heather Duke's head has sprouted in its place like some mythological thing my eighth grade boyfriend would know about."

5. What did Flannery help prepare for the Festival Internationale?

Answer: Crepes

Flannery worked in the French booth wilth Millie. Aqua fresca was used to administer the absinthe to James Carr, in retaliation for his assault of her. Shish kebab was mentioned in the description of the festival.

6. Besides Adam, who else died?

Answer: Mark

Mark Wallace fatally crashed his car into a tree while driving DUI at eighty mph. He is erroneously identified by Dr. Tert as Flannery's boyfriend. James Carr remains in a coma but does not die. Ron's house is burned by vigilantes, but he escapes.

7. Who did Flannery identify as the author of "Cyrano de Bergerac"?

Answer: Moliere

Edmund Rostand wrote the play, but Flannery asserts that Moliere wrote it, in contemptuous response to a freshman girl's guess that it is one of Shakespeare's. Gaston Leroux wrote "The Phantom of the Opera".

8. What play did Ron Piper give away tickets for?

Answer: "Hamlet"

"Othello" is the play the students were rehearsing. "Cymbeline" is the play Adam identified to win one of the tickets. "Cyrano" was incorrectly guessed by one of the "ten thousand shy freshman girls" in the same contest.

9. What were the names of the unfortunate assistants of the lecherous James Carr?

Answer: They are not named

The poor girls are not named, possibly for their own protection. The first tells Flannery Carr makes her "...feel so gross I don't even want to touch my own kid." The second quits not long after she is hired.
Stacy State was Adam's mother, Rachel his sister. Ann Rule was an anti-Absinthe activist.

10. Who were Flannery's parents?

Answer: David and Barbara

Except for twice referring to "my parents" while describing the trip to Italy, Flannery says only that "My parents have vanished as far as I'm concerned." Nevertheless, Dr. Tert characterises them as "well-respected members of their community" and "considered to be model parents by all who knew them."

11. What was the name of "Sweater Vest Girl"?

Answer: Shannon

Shannon was one of the "shy freshmen" in Drama that Flannery held in contempt; she worked on the props for "Othello". It was Flannery's discovery of Adam and Shannon in bed together that led to the murder.

12. Which self-aggrandising talk show celebrity visited Flannery's school?

Answer: Eleanor Tert

Former stewardess and ex-cocaine addict. She and Peter Pusher have established themselves as "experts" primarily by appearing on the Winnie Moprah show. Dr. Phil is the only "real" person on this list, but is as every bit as sanctimonious.

13. Who was the "Spawn of Satan"?

Answer: V_____

"Satan" was the name the group came to call V_____'s domineering mother, one of several "catty nicknames" that "play off the Queen Mother's first and last names, both of which are of course secrets." Incidentally, "V_____" is also the eponymous character from a Thomas Pynchon novel.

14. Flannery commited the murder; she said so at the very beginning. Which movie does her choice of weapon reference?

Answer: "Heathers"

Flannery's croquet mallet could have come right from Veronica Sawyer's back yard. The fact that it is the red mallet Flannery uses is interesting, as the colour red was a symbol of authority in "Heathers".

15. Who took the photo?

Answer: Flora

Flannery's realisation of this is the climax of the story. Flannery has very little good to say about Flora Habstat, even denying her membership in the "Basic Eight" in favour of Natasha.

Source: Author Piscivore

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
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Daniel Handler: The Basic Eight Quiz

Otherwise known as Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler has written two adult novels under his own name. This quiz is based on the first of them. This quiz contains MAJOR spoilers for this book if you continue. PLEASE read this fantastic book first!

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