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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the beatnik painter passed out on the bed in Chapter 1?

2. What old buddy does the the narrator send a letter to in Chapter 9?

3. What name did Cody's character have in "On the Road"?

4. What author's book does the narrator begin reading in Chapter 17?

5. Who does the narrator say has prevailed over the American male's ideals now in Chapter 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jack describe the nature surrounding him in Chapter 3?

2. In what "chores" does the narrator find peace in Chapter 6?

3. What is the purpose of Jack's and Arthur Ma's conversation in Chapter 19?

4. How does the protagonist view the cliffs and his surroundings in Chapter 4?

5. What does Jack tell himself and thus do in the beginning of Chapter 3? What does the driver tell him?

6. What "sign" does Jack speak of in Chapter 10 and why?

7. What does Jack recall of George Baso in Chapter 15?

8. After leaving Cody's house, where does the group decide to go and who do they meet up with?

9. What does Jack describe as he leaves for Big Sur in Chapter 2?

10. What quotes of Emerson does Kerouac use in Chapter 7? What do these propel the narrator to do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the imagery which the author uses in the final chapters of the novel as Jack descends into madness. What contrasts are used to express this?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Jack's relationship to animals in Big Sur. How is this expressed in the cabin and in San Francisco? What do the animals symbolize?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the settings which are established in Big Sur. What are the major contrasts between the city and the country in this novel and what effect do those contrasts have on Jack?

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