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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. Where is Jacob taken after it is decided he will remain with the circus to examine a sick animal?

2. Where does Jacob sleep his first night in his new sleeping quarters?

3. What is a cooch show in the circus?

4. Where does Jacob find Marlena?

5. What has changed between Chapter 1 and Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Marlena ask Jacob about her horse?

2. What does Jacob conclude about Marlena's horse?

3. Why does Jacob become angry with Rosemary, one of his nurses at the assisted-living center?

4. What purchase has Uncle Al made from the bankrupted circus that causes him a great deal of excitement?

5. What is a cooch show?

6. What does Uncle Al think of Jacob when he interviews him?

7. What is jake? Why does Camel drink it?

8. Why does August not have time to secure food for the animals?

9. What attacks Jacob later that night?

10. How does Jacob get a job working security for the cooch show that night?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Jacob's family. How does the death of Jacob's parents influence his decision to join the circus as a young man? How does the fact that his son forgot it was his day to visit influence Jacob into joining the circus the second time? What does Jacob's choice say about his state of mind? What do these choices say about Jacob's feelings toward his family, both as a young man and an old man?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of greed. Why is greed a theme in this novel? What characters are influenced by greed? How do the actions of these characters affect the main characters? How would this novel have progressed differently if greed were not a theme? Would the novel change drastically without the greed of certain characters? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Why does Jacob not talk about his time with the circus when he is old and living in the assisted-living center? Is Jacob ashamed of his past? What is Jacob attempting to hide? Why does Jacob finally tell his story to a stranger, but a stranger who lives with a circus? What is it about the man's job that makes Jacob trust him? What does this say about the culture of the traveling circus?

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This section contains 879 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample