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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. The story of Husk, Graham and Billy-Joe is obviously

2. Viviano does not understand

3. Just before he heard a jeep approaching, Abbey saw a

4. Why was the government interested in the Arches national park area?

5. Edward is able to hear, but not see

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain why many of the petroglyphs are found in caves too high for us to reach.

2. Why does Abbey kill a wild rabbit?

3. How does Edward Abbey seem "polemic" in his views about national parks?

4. Why would the obsidian shards be named "Apache tears?"

5. What are the two wild animals that Abbey has never seen in the Southwest?

6. The author has arrived in Utah, having come from New Mexico. How different is the terrain in this new place from what he is accustomed to?

7. Explain Abbey's frustration with Roy Scobie.

8. Where in this chapter does Abbey foreshadow a story involving quicksand?

9. Explain Abbey's reasoning that joy may support survival.

10. Why was Turnbow Cabin built?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Abbey and his friend, Newcomb, enjoy an incredible rafting trip down the Colorado River, separating themselves from humanity in general. Discuss in a detailed essay Abbey's mixed feelings of revulsion and delight about the human race. How does this trip down the river bring things into focus for him? Since he is a human himself, does he simply feel superior to most people, or are his objections more theoretical? Is the trip down the river a statement of some kind - does it hold a deeper meaning?

Essay Topic 2

Edward Abbey goes into great detail in his story about Husk and Graham and the search for uranium. Why would he embellish this story so much, given that it was simply a legend in the area and he could not possibly have known such detail? What is the point of drawing the reader along through this story? Is there some hint that he provides that tells us who the real villain is? Do a detailed reading and write about Abbey's literary license in turning this into a detailed tale, and describe what effect he is attempting to create with it. What devices does he use within his story of Husk and Graham for irony?

Essay Topic 3

Desert Solitaire was first written in 1956, and reprinted several times after that. Abbey obviously added some text over time. Do a close reading of the section where Abbey describes the experience of noontime in the desert as a psychedelic experience. Are you able to "feel" and understand what he is trying to say? Is he, perhaps, suffering from heat stroke at that time, or is he disoriented. Discuss in your essay the kinds of literary tools Abbey uses to help us experience his story.

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