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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 does John Grady end up finding Magdalena after she does not arrive with the driver he hired to help her escape the White Lake?

2. Where does Billy go searching for John Grady at after he discovers Magdalena has died?

3. In the Epilogue, where does Billy sleep when he has a dream?

4. Who does John Grady ask to be Magdalena's godfather in the book?

5. Who does Magdalena find waiting for her after getting into a car she believed was sent by John Grady in Chapter 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does John Grady do at his house just after finding out about Magdalena's death?

2. How do John Grady and Billy find a litter of puppies that are trapped on the mesa?

3. How do the cowboys inadvertently break the necks of some wild dogs they track in Chapter 3?

4. What is the nature of Billy's conversation with a police officer after discovering Magdalena was dead?

5. How is Billy described when he is first seen in 2002?

6. How does John Grady describe Magdalena's escape plan to her?

7. How does John Grady discover that Magdalena has died?

8. How is the dream of a stranger described to Billy in the epilogue?

9. What is the nature of the blind man's response to John Grady when he asks him to pray for him?

10. How are John Grady and Billy able to coerce their horses to go to the top of the mesa?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Death is one of the central themes discussed in the book. Part 1.) How does the author address the experience of one's spouse dying through characters like Mac and John Grady, and what purpose might he have for doing this? Part 2.) Why does John Grady willingly fight Eduardo to the death after Magdalena's murder, is this somehow an ironic response? Part 3.) What impact does death appear to have for Billy by the end of the book?

Essay Topic 2

Horses play a starring role in many parts of the book and allow the reader to better understand the book's characters based on their treatment of these animals. Part 1.) What do horses appear to mean and represent to the cowboys in the book, and what role do they play in their everyday life? Part 2.) Considering this role, what can we learn about John Grady's motivations when he decides to sell his horse in order to marry Magdalena? Part 3.) How does the author use horses as a way of judging the character of the cowboys?

Essay Topic 3

The events of the past play an integral role in the lives of the book's characters for various reasons. Part 1.) What role does the past play in the relationship between John Grady and Mr. Johnson in the book? Part 2.) What purpose might the author have for placing such emphasis on the ways and customs of the past throughout much of the book, what might he be saying about the nature of change and progress based on this portrayal? Part 3.) Given how the book ends, what impact did Billy's experiences in the past impact his actions later in life, namely when he begins working for a family?

(see the answer keys)

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