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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. How old is the character of Arthur Ma?

2. What is Kerouac's fictionalized name in Big Sur?

3. What does the narrator write that every woodsman needs in Chapter 9?

4. The narrator talks of a tree in Chapter 6 that looks like whose face?

5. On what day does the narrator say he began to get bored in Chapter 7?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the description of the boarding house where his friends live in Chapter 12?

2. What is Jack's reaction to learning his cat has died?

3. Describe the character of Arthur Ma.

4. How do Buddhist fundamentals relate to Jack's relationship with nature in Chapter 8? How do these change later in the novel?

5. What exposition does the narrator relay of Cody's imprisonment in Chapter 13?

6. What does Jack decide to do in Chapter 9? How does he go about leaving?

7. How does Jack describe the nature surrounding him in Chapter 3?

8. What does Jack describe as he leaves for Big Sur in Chapter 2?

9. What spurs Jack to believe he is not wanted at the cabin in Chapter 9?

10. What is the purpose of Jack's and Arthur Ma's conversation in Chapter 19?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the characters of David Wain and Arthur Ma. How do these characters relate to one another? What are their differences in relationship to the narrator?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of "man and nature" in Big Sur. What symbols and motifs are used to illustrate this theme?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss and describe the foreshadowing which Kerouac used in Big Sur. How overt is his use of foreshadowing? What are his intentions with this technique?

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