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

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Billy eventually get the baby colt out?

2. What does Jody do with his surprise-filled lunchbox when he returns home from school?

3. Where does everyone sit after dinner when Grandfather is first visiting?

4. How does Grandfather react to Jody's invitation to help in the mouse hunt?

5. What does Grandfather say has happened to his appetite for "westering"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The final scene in Chapter 3 (where Billy kills Nellie to save the colt) is one of the most important in the text. Discuss the reasons why Billy chooses the colt over Nellie and what this decision shows the reader about his own character as well as about his relationship with Jody.

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

Discuss why Jody kills one of the buzzards when he sees it eating his dead pony. Why does he respond in this particular way? What does it symbolize? What does it show the reader about Jody?

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This section contains 302 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample