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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 aids Mac in his new business venture?

2. Where will Eleanor and Eveline be staying in New York as they start work?

3. In his meeting with McGill to address the strike, what does Ward propose?

4. What does Johnny want to study so he can get a job overseas?

5. Whom does Eleanor meet while looking at paintings at the Art Institute?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Charley's girlfriend gets pregnant?

2. Why does Eleanor befriend Miss Eliza Perkins?

3. Why does Gertrude threaten Ward with divorce, and what effect can this divorce have upon him?

4. What does Mac do when the Zapata arrives in Mexico City?

5. After the play fails, how does Eleanor recover?

6. What does Ward want to achieve on his own without Annabelle's support?

7. Why does Janey quit her job and look for new work?

8. What does Charley do for work in Minneapolis when he moves there?

9. After Ward leaves Annabelle, where does he live, and what is life like there?

10. What happens that makes Janey feel that she has made the "big time" at work?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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.

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