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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 crushes Hank's arm?

2. What is the rat trying to crack open?

3. What is Jenny doing at the beginning of the chapter?

4. Who does Hank visit in the hospital?

5. Where does Hank go after his visit to the hospital?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the prologue that opens Chapter 9.

2. Describe Willard's phone call to Hank.

3. What is different about the novel's point of view?

4. Why is Jenny tossing shells onto her bed?

5. Why does Hank not want Joe-Ben to shoot the geese?

6. Describe Hank's time at the Snag.

7. Why does Henry need to show Hank how to cut trees the old fashioned way?

8. Why does Lee refuse to get out of bed?

9. In what way are the Canadian geese in both Hank and Lee's thoughts?

10. Summarize the novel

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sometime a Great Notion is an influential novel. Choose a book written after Sometimes a Great Notion that you think was influenced by the novel and discuss their similarities in terms of

a) plot

b) character

c) themes.

Essay Topic 2

1) What is the premise of Sometime a Great Notion? Does Kesey keep to this premise throughout?

2) What would happen if he did not keep to the story's premise? Why do stories need a premise?

Essay Topic 3

Kesey grew up in Oregon, adhering to the rule that writers should always write about what they know. Do you think it is obvious that Kesey knows his subject? What difference do you think it makes to the story? Are there any moments where you think Kesey does not portray a character or setting so well? What effect does it have on the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 649 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample