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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. Who does the narrator call in Paris in Chapter 30?

2. What does the narrator say that is the only thing he and Cody ever argued about?

3. What is Cody's wife's name?

4. What image does the narrator think of watching Billie wade in the water in Chapter 34?

5. Where does the narrator sleep when staying at Cody's house on visits?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does the group stop on their way to the cabin in Chapter 33? Why?

2. What do Jack and Billie talk about in Chapter 34? What realization does he have in this chapter?

3. What does Jack compare the visions he sees in Chapter 37 to?

4. What is the initial meeting of Jack and Billie like in Chapter 26?

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

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

7. What does Cody propose to Jack in Chapter 24 regarding Willamine?

8. What is evident of Jack's friends in Chapter 30?

9. What does Jack dream of in Chapter 37?

10. What does Jack reveal through exposition regarding Cody and Evelyn in Chapter 23?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the character of Jack Duluoz in Big Sur. What are his principle characteristics? What are his objectives and obstacles in the plot?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the value of things in Jack's mind. How did the Beatnik ideals differ from those in mainstream society during this era? What is more important: a sink scourer or a nice suit?

Essay Topic 3

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

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