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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. Who does Jimmy call?

2. How does Jimmy know what Crab is feeling?

3. Where does Crab arrange to take a room?

4. What do Crab and Jimmy do after taking evasive action?

5. Where do Crab and Jimmy go from this place?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where do Crab and Jimmy stay in Chicago?

2. What do Crab and Jimmy do in the morning?

3. Describe Crab's interaction with Frank.

4. How does Jimmy find out that Crab is sick?

5. What had Crab's plan for the night been?

6. What happens to Crab and Jimmy on their way out of Chicago?

7. Where do Crab and Jimmy stop in Chicago?

8. What makes Crab nervous about leaving the diner?

9. Where do Crab and Jimmy go after they secure a place to stay?

10. What does Jimmy think about when he thinks of Mama Jean?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Crab's illness makes it impossible for him to play more than an episodic role in Jimmy's life. How else does his illness figure in the book? Is it a symbol or a metaphor? What does it symbolize? What clues does the author give us, that Crab's illness might mean more than just his individual sickness?

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

How does Jimmy change over the course of the novel. What was he like in the beginning? What is he like in the end? What brings the change about?

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