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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 happens during the next election for governor?

2. What does Willie tell Jack to do?

3. Who does not approve of Jack working for Willie?

4. What does Willie want of Judge Irwin?

5. Who is Willie Stark's wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the author have Jack return home from California?

2. Under what circumstances did Jack's parents meet?

3. What leads Jack to explore the judge's interest in the American Electric Power Company?

4. How does Jack come to learn about the Mastern family?

5. How is Willie's physical presence described by the author?

6. Compare and contrast the funerals for Willie and Adam.

7. What potential issues surround the contract being awarded to J.H. Moore?

8. What purpose does Chapter 4 serve for the novel?

9. What are the circumstances surrounding Willie's loss at reelection for the county treasurer job?

10. What is revealed in the literary technique does the author use at the beginning of Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the childhoods of Willie Stark and Jack Burden. How did Willie's life of hard work growing up on a farm make him the person he became? Would Willie have been different had he not entered politics? How did growing up relatively privileged affect Jack?

Essay Topic 2

What is the symbolism of Willie Stark's name? Does his name fit his bold physicality? How about his brash personality?

Essay Topic 3

Tiny Duffy is characterized as the epitome of evil in the book. Explain Tiny's motives for what he does. Do you think people like Tiny gravitate toward political positions because there is more opportunity for advancement? Or for greed? Explain.

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