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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. What is Jimmy's status in Crab's eyes?

2. How long has this gap between intention and action been going on, as the novel begins?

3. What is Jimmy's response to the move to Chicago?

4. What does Cookie tell Jimmy?

5. What is Jimmy's race?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Crab behave when Cookie knocks on the door?

2. What happens when Jimmy finally makes it to school?

3. What favor does Crab do for Mama Jean?

4. What does Crab's story have to do with the trip he is taking with Jimmy?

5. What is Jimmy's relationship with Mama Jean?

6. What is Mama Jean's response to Crab's arrival?

7. What happens when Crab comes back to the car?

8. What does Mama Jean tell Jimmy when he is leaving?

9. Describe Jimmy's departure with Crab.

10. What makes Crab nervous when they stop?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In what ways is Mama Jean a better parent than Crab? In what ways is she not? What does Crab teach Jimmy that Mama Jean could not, and vice versa?

Essay Topic 2

How would you characterize the author's writing style? How is language itself a character in the story? Is it supposed to be transparent, or does the author draw attention to his use of language?

Essay Topic 3

Use the book as a meditation on the value of a five-star rating system. Is a five-star system sufficient to a book like this? Would you need to have sub-topics for the rating system, for plot, characterization, language, etc? What other sub-topics would you need? What value or importance gets lost in a five-star scale? Design a scale that would be better for this book.

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This section contains 562 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample