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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. Uncle Ather tells the boys about a time when he caught a _______________.

2. Which is true of the orchard keeper's environment when he awakens?

3. With what other offense could John Wesley be charged?

4. Where does the large cat find refuge from the rain?

5. What do the boys do in the cave?

Short Essay Questions

1. What information does John Wesley give to Gifford and what does Sylder say about it?

2. Describe Ownby's encounter with a welfare department agent in the jail.

3. What happens to the Rattners by the end of the story?

4. Why does Gifford focus his question about Ownby on a storekeep named Huffaker?

5. Why does McCarthy wait until this point in the story to reveal the orchard keeper's formal name?

6. Who are the boys that John Wesley meets and what do they do?

7. What sense of foreboding does Sylder have as he tries to fall asleep?

8. Describe Ownby's arrest by Officer Gifford.

9. How is the dead cat symbolic of Kenneth Rattner?

10. How does Gifford put pressure on John Wesley to give up information about Sylder?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain McCarthy's use of regionalism in the book. Cite examples of at least two different instances of regionalism and explain why the author used them where he did.

Essay Topic 2

McCarthy is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony. Briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of resistance to government intervention. Identify at least two examples about resistance to government intervention in the book. Then explain how each example supports the theme of resistance to government intervention.

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