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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 the safest place to play for Mac when he is a child?

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

3. How many boxes does the tailor give Fainy?

4. When Ike finds out that he has a venereal disease, what does a bum tell him to take for a cure?

5. In the Camera Eye section, who became active in the labor union and the Socialist Party?

Short Essay Questions

1. After meeting Ben Evans, what does Mac decide?

2. What occurs at Mrs. Kovach's house when Fainy and Bingham spend the night?

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

4. Describe Mac's life as a child.

5. Describe Johnny Ward Morehouse.

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

7. What does Ike teach Mac?

8. What happens at the theater? What does Mac do?

9. What happens when Fainy and Bingham ride the train to Michigan?

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

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

Politics play a significant role throughout the entire book. In the 42nd Parallel, John dos Passos asks and sometimes offers occasional answers to big philosophical questions about the role and rights of workers in society, the equality of men and women, and important figures of the early 20th century. Do you find John dos Passos' arguments convincing? Why or why not? Do any of his characters show strong political opinions and, if so, about what? Describe.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the concept of loneliness as it is exhibited in the 42nd Parallel. Which of the characters are lonely? Are they all lonely in some way? Explain the loneliness and the methods and attempts to overcome it.

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This section contains 861 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample