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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 does Carlile claim he has been doing?

2. What time do Lon and Rick take up positions at the Doll House formation?

3. What does Rick tell Josh on the radio?

4. Who has a parachute?

5. What do Lon and Rick hear as they run off?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Rick feel when he hang glides with Lon the first time and what does Lon tell him to do? How does Rick feel after he is settled on the glider?

2. What does Rick learn has happened with Lon?

3. What does Rick do about Carlile and finding Lon's missing items?

4. How does Rick hike in the Maze and what does he find there? Why is Lon excited when Rick returns from the maze?

5. What does Rick do to find Lon and how does Carlile try to stop him?

6. How does Rick's attempt at hang gliding by himself work out?

7. How does Rick find Lon, and how does he rescue him?

8. What does Lon tell Rick he will do with Rick, what do they discover missing, what does Rick say about the story of Icarus and who do they think have stolen their missing items?

9. How does M4 end up dead?

10. How does Rick help Lon after Lon captures M4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze the theme of growth in "The Maze". Consider the following questions as you write: What characters are most concerned with growth? Why? What are some symbols of growth? Symbols of rigidity? What characters seem rigid?

2. Trace and analyze the theme of courage in the story. Which characters struggle with this issue? Why? Which characters seem to possess courage? Why?

3. Trace and analyze the theme of death in "The Maze". Consider the death of not just M4 and Rick's grandmother, but the death of the Rick's past, and how these events have affected him. Trace the point when Rick decides to let his past go and move forward.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. What is a plot? What are the most important elements of a plot and their definition? Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not?

2. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of "The Maze", identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot?

3. Identify the major sub-plots and their elements in "The Maze". (The subplots may not contain every element of a major plot.) Do the sub-plots add to the main plot? Why or why not. Are the sub-plots interesting in and of themselves? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Many people were running from their problems, such as jobs they hated, bad marriages, or escaping from relatives they did not like, by leaving for the gold fields. Many realized very quickly that no matter how far they ran the character flaws were always there. Rick has run from his problems, but then finds he must face the central cause of his problems -- himself.

1. Running from problems by going somewhere else is called a "geographic cure." Discuss what do you think this means.

2. Do you believe taking the geographic cure is a good idea or a bad idea? Why or why not? Could it be different depending on the circumstance? How did running help Rick? How did it harm him?

3. Discuss two situations that might respond well to a geographic cure and two that wouldn't be helped with on. Does Rick's determination to leave the detention center seem like a geographic cure? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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