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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. How can Jody tell the man approaching his house in Chapter 2 is older?

2. What does Jess Taylor report the horse rider was carrying?

3. For whom does Billy Buck work?

4. By which holiday does Carl tell Jody he can ride his pony?

5. Where does Carl suggest Gitano go after he leaves the Tiflin ranch?

Short Essay Questions

1. What makes the mountains seem less threatening to Jody?

2. Why does everyone on the ranch eat such a hearty breakfast?

3. How does Grandfather respond to seeing Jody for the first time?

4. What kind of weather are Jody and Billy discussing at the opening of Chapter 4?

5. Who really teaches Jody how to get ready to ride his pony?

6. Why does Jody hide the bird he kills when Chapter 2 opens?

7. Why does Carl ask Gitano if he has relatives anywhere nearby?

8. How will Jody pay back his father for the $5 it will take to breed Nellie with a stallion?

9. How has Billy been able to gauge Jody's skill with horses?

10. What is Grandfather's opinion of Billy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are several instances in _The Red Pony_ where Jody very deliberately conceals his actions from the adults of the novel. Pick one instance in each chapter where this occurs and discuss what it shows the reader about Jody's character (including how his character is maturing, if at all, as the novel progresses).

Essay Topic 2

Chapter 3 has significantly more violence than the other chapters in the book. Discuss at least 2 instances where violence appears and what Steinbeck is trying to convey by putting violence into an otherwise non-violent text.

Essay Topic 3

A theme throughout _The Red Pony_ is Jody's transition from boyhood to manhood. Choose one particular moment when you think this transition officially happens, making sure to use quotations from the text to support your position.

(see the answer keys)

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