The 42nd Parallel | Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - pgs. 1-21

1. Describe Mac's life as a child.

2. What happens on the train ride to Chicago that Mac takes?

3. What effect did Uncle Tim have on Mac?

4. How does Mac learn independence?

Short Essay Question - pgs. 22-41

5. When Fainy accepts a job with Doc Bingham, what does he learn about his new place of employment right away?

6. What is the only question that Fainy asks about his job?

7. What happens when Fainy and Bingham ride...
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