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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. Where does Fainy meet Bingham after saying goodbye to his family?

2. Who convinces Mac to stay another month in Nevada despite Maisie's moving letter?

3. Who walks along a cobblestone path in the Camera Eye segment?

4. According to the ad, what is the salary for the job for which Fainy interviews?

5. Who sends Janey postcards when she is twenty-one?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do you learn about Mac's personality through his choices in pages. 62-84?

2. Where does Janey work in Washington DC? What knowledge does she acquire?

3. What could Maisie have done to keep Mac in Los Angeles with her?

4. What decision does Mac make regarding Maisie and her pregnancy?

5. What happens on the train ride to Chicago that Mac takes?

6. What do Fred Hoff and Mac share in common?

7. When Fainy accepts a job with Doc Bingham, what does he learn about his new place of employment right away?

8. What happens when Mac reaches the rancher's house?

9. Describe Johnny Ward Morehouse.

10. What kind of personality does Janey have?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe some of the settings for the stories in the 42nd Parallel. What is the overall setting? Be sure to include geography, time period, and any pertinent popular culture events. Why did the author choose to use these places in the stories of the 42nd Parallel?

Essay Topic 2

Explain John dos Passos' use of irony in the 42nd Parallel. Cite examples of at least two different instances of humor and explain why the author used them where he did.

Essay Topic 3

The 42nd Parallel was known as the major storm path across North America. The 42nd parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 42 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. The 42nd Parallel of latitude runs right through the heart of the United States. What do you think of John dos Passos' choice of title for the book? Is it appropriate? Explain. How does this title relate to the five characters of Fainy McCreary (Mac), Janey, J. Ward Moorehouse, Eleanor Stoddard, and Charley Anderson?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 856 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample