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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. Why is Dean unable to work in San Francisco?

2. Where do Sal, Dean, and Marylou drop Alfred off?

3. What happens to Sal in Mexico City?

4. How does Sal feel after Dean confides in Sal about his reaction to their fight?

5. Where is Camille working in San Francisco?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Dean returns to see Sal at the hotel?

2. What happens to Sal in Mexico City?

3. What arrives in San Francisco that allows Sal to return to New York?

4. What does Dean's cousin, Sam Brady, tell Dean when he was attempting to locate his father in Denver?

5. Why does Dean want to take the trip with Sal and Stan?

6. What happens to Sal, Dean, and Marylou's car in Texas?

7. What decision did the other passengers override Sal and Dean on in Sacramento?

8. What happens when Sal and Dean return the travel bureau car in Chicago?

9. Where do Sal, Dean, and Stan Shepherd travel in Part 4 of On the Road?

10. What is the dream that both Sal and Dean have about driving?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In American culture, starting as early as the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the California Gold Rush, California is viewed as the land of hope and promise.

a. Explain how California is viewed by Okies and Mexican immigrants in On the Road.

b. Explain how it is viewed by Sal Paradise.

Essay Topic 2

At the time it was published, On the Road was considered rebellious and obscene. It also exalts criminals, swindlers, drifters, and drug users.

a. What does Sal Paradise find so appealing about the characters and situations he encounters? Why?

b. What distinction would Sal make between being a criminal and having a zest for life, if any?

Cite examples from the book to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the two central characters in On the Road, Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, on the following:

a. The idea of being on the road.

b. The role of their fathers in their lives.

c. Their attitudes toward women.

(see the answer keys)

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