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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. As the son becomes even colder, what does he ask his father about again?

2. Despite his son's protests, what does the father do to the son after the person approaches him in the inhabited village?

3. When did the father's wife shoot herself?

4. The night after the incident with the man on the road, the father has a dream -- what does he dream about?

5. Along the road, what do the father and son encounter that makes them stop?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain how the father demonstrates perseverance in Chapters 16 through 20.

2. Recall a situation in the text that demonstrates how the son has becomes immune to the sight of death.

3. Recall an example from the first few chapters of the novel that demonstrates the son's concern with mortality.

4. Describe what the father makes for their feet in Chapter 20.

5. Analyze the son's dream about the toy penguin.

6. Explain why it is difficult for the reader to truly assess how bad things are in the world.

7. Describe a recurring theme throughout Chapters 16 through 20.

8. Recall examples from Chapters 1-5 that demonstrate how the father tries to protect the son, and how the son tries to protect the father.

9. Describe the father's belief in God.

10. Give one example from Chapter 5 that demonstrates how the father is not functioning well psychologically.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the theme of repetition of problems and how it sets the tone for the book. How does the repetition of these problems create a bleak feeling throughout the book? How does this repetition help make their situation seem hopeless? Cite examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Examine the use of description in The Road. Discuss how the author uses narration, dialogue, and imagery to bring his novel to life, citing examples from the text. Compare the description in this novel to another novel the class has read.

Essay Topic 3

Although the landscape and destruction are mentioned, the author never explains what caused the devastation. Explore the cause of this devastation, refer to the clues that are provided to the reader.

• How does the landscape suggest an epidemic -- could it be environmental, caused by man through war, or both?

• Why is it difficult to truly assess the situation of the world, and how is the father an unreliable witness?

• How does not explaining the disaster add to the paranoia and confusion that the reader feels from the father?

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