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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 do the boys stop to get their frogs?

2. With whom did Lee consummate a recent business deal?

3. As a businessman, Lee is __________________________.

4. With whom does Frankie live?

5. What is Lee's final solution about the building?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Hazel.

2. Why is Doc leery of Mack's request for money?

3. What is the irony of Hazel's name?

4. Why does Mack has a twinge of guilt about the frog mission?

5. What does Steinbeck think has changed America dramatically in only two generations?

6. Describe Dora Flood.

7. How doe Mack's wits keep the boys out of trouble when they are approached by a large man with a pointer dog?

8. Explain the relationship between Doc and Frankie.

9. Describe Doc's personal characteristics.

10. What happens to Gay when the needle valve breaks on the car?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Dora Flood. What is her role on Cannery Row? Why does Steinbeck say she is loved by the intelligent, the learned, and the kind? Why is she hated by "married spinsters," whose husbands are attracted to the whore house? Is Dora the classic whore with a heart of gold?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the significance of the dead girl that Doc finds floating in the water. Why does Doc's head fill with the escalating sounds of music when he sees her? Why does Doc let the stranger claim the reward for reporting the body? Why does Doc, who is usually very responsible, get away from the scene as quickly as possible?

Essay Topic 3

Steinbeck mentions "the hour of the pearl" several times in the novel. How else could he have described this fleeting time in the mornings? What name would you give to the California sunsets? What is the significance of "the hour of the pearl" in relation to Doc?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 795 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample