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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 does Rusty-James say his friends should come with him to meet Biff?

2. Who is the coolest person in the world to Rusty-James?

3. Who reminds the boys that they had stopped all this "cowboys and Indians crap"?

4. What does Rusty-James have difficulty doing?

5. Who ispresent at the fight five years ago when Rusty-James got his scar?

Short Essay Questions

1. What dose Steve mean when he says that he cannot keep on thinking for Rusty-James?

2. Why is Patterson watching Rusty-James and Motorcycle Boy when they leave the drugstore?

3. Why does Motorcycle Boy tell Rusty-James not to tell anyone that a famous photographer took his picture?

4. Why does Smokey believe that no one will follow Rusty-James into a knife fight?

5. In Chapter 9, how has Rusty-James' vision of Motorcycle Boy changed since the prior night?

6. Why does Steve worry about everyone coming to witness the fight between Rusty-James and Biff?

7. Why does Rusty-James feel that gangs are good despite what Steve and Motorcycle Boy tell him?

8. What does Rusty-James' bad grammar and slang tell the reader about his character?

9. In Chapter 2, with what does Steve try to get Rusty-James to confront and deal?

10. What does Rusty-James' father do when he gets home in Chapter 5?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the perspective of distance between the past and the present affect the main protagonist, Rusty-James? Analyze how Rusty-James' character has/has not changed during the five years since the night of the knife fight.

Essay Topic 2

In"Rumble Fish," Rusty-James describes Steve as a sincere rabbit. What is the significance of the metaphor? What does it reveal about Steve as a character? What does the author want to convey about both Rusty-James and Steve? Find descriptions from the text to support your answer and to provide evidence for your opinion.

Essay Topic 3

The role of women in "Rumble Fish" is one of disappointment and negativity. Select one of the female characters (e.g., Cassandra, Patty, Motorcycle Boy's and Rusty-James' mom,) and define how their representation is a reflection of Rusty-James' attitude. Find descriptions from the text to support your answer and to provide evidence for your opinion.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 614 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample