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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. Where does the narrator tell Billie she should go in Chapter 35?

2. Who does Ben say that even he knew everything is possible in Chapter 30?

3. At what time do the narrator and his friends arrive at Cody's in Chapter 33?

4. Who does the narrator exclaim that Billie looks like in Chapter 26?

5. What has happened to the chair in Billie's apartment in Chapter 30?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jack react to Dave's return from fishing and happy demeanor in Chapter 35?

2. What is Jack awaiting in Chapter 31? What takes place in the conversation between Jack and Billie here?

3. Who visits Jack in Chapter 30? What do they do together?

4. What does Jack do once Billie has left for work in Chapter 27? Who does he meet?

5. What leads Jack to go for Cody's suggestion in Chapter 24?

6. How does Jack describe the inner world of his alcohol-laced madness in Chapter 21?

7. Who arrives at the cabin in the beginning of Chapter 23?

8. What does Jack dream of in Chapter 37?

9. What does Jack suggest to Billie regarding their relationship in Chapter 31?

10. What spiritual or religious imagery is presented in Chapter 36 in relation to Jack's state of mind?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of "isolation" in Big Sur. How does this theme contrast that of "fame?" How do these juxtapositions create conflict in the hero?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Jack's relationship to animals in Big Sur. How is this expressed in the cabin and in San Francisco? What do the animals symbolize?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the settings which are established in Big Sur. What are the major contrasts between the city and the country in this novel and what effect do those contrasts have on Jack?

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