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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. Whose death forces Mac's family to move to Chicago?

2. In News Reel II, what is the event discussed concerning George Smith and his brother?

3. After Joe's friend dies in a motorcycle accident, what does Joe plan to do?

4. Where do Ike and Fainy finally find work in Seattle?

5. At Thanksgiving, where is Mac?

Short Essay Questions

1. What effect did Uncle Tim have on Mac?

2. Where does Mac live with Maisie and what is their relationship?

3. Describe Janey.

4. What does Ike teach Mac?

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

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

7. What kind of personality does Janey have?

8. Describe Mac's life as a child.

9. What does Johnny do for work, and why does he move to Ocean City?

10. Who is Alice, and what effect does she have on Janey?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Janey and Ward are two of the main characters of the 42nd Parallel.

Part 1) What is their relationship? How do they coexist, and how do they interact? What is similar about them, and what is different?

Part 2) What are some events that Ward directly influenced? What are some events that Janey directly influenced?

Part 3) Which character offers support to other characters? Which one is stronger and why?

Essay Topic 2

John Dos Passos offers a compelling narrative told in an unorthodox and experimental fashion using "Newsreels" with blaring headlines, autobiographical "Camera Eye" sections with poetic stream-of-consciousness, and "biographies" evoking emblematic historical figures like J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford, John Reed, Frank Lloyd Wright, Thorstein Veblen, and the Unknown Soldier. Do you find this style interesting to read? Are you able to follow the story line easily, or are these changes erratic and confusing for you as a reader? Does John dos Passos offer powerful storytelling that holds your attention? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

The working class American is an important figure of John Dos Passos' work. In the 42nd Parallel, Dos Passos tracks the gritty lives of the working and middle class Americans with whom he identifies. Before the New Deal, what was the biggest struggle for working class Americans? Does John dos Passos offer realistic and insightful characterizations and descriptions of early 20th century life in the United States? Explain your thoughts.

(see the answer keys)

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