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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 Mack and the boys now buy their groceries instead of going to Lee's?

2. What do each of the boys carry to the frog hunt?

3. What illness breaks out in all of Monterey?

4. How does Doc view Mack?

5. How many times has Henri the Painter been married?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of the flagpole sitter at Holman's Department Store?

2. Why is Mack impressed by Dora?

3. Why does Mack initially reject the captain's offer of whiskey?

4. How does Mack perceive Doc?

5. How does Steinbeck show that Cannery Row is an undesirable part of town?

6. Describe Mary Talbot.

7. How does Steinbeck show that Doc is one with nature?

8. How does Doc respond to Mack's request to know Doc's birth date?

9. For what event does Steinbeck use foreshadowing in this chapter?

10. What is the irony of the tax troubles Dora experiences?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mack and the boys are a band of homeless men who live together in a warehouse they name the Palace Flophouse. Why do Mack and the boys become like a family after a while? How do they exhibit behaviors inherent in families? What lessons is Steinbeck trying to teach about the various ways that families can be created, outside of the obvious biological combinations?

Essay Topic 2

Steinbeck clearly likes to have fun with his readers. Name some examples of humor in this book. Which characters are especially prone to humorous behavior? Which are not? Why does Steinbeck use humor? Is he trying to balance somber stories, or does he just find life to be funny most of the time, at least in this story?

Essay Topic 3

How does Steinbeck use the literary technique of local color in Cannery Row? What elements comprise local color? Give some examples of the local color in Cannery Row establishments. In the characters. In the events.

(see the answer keys)

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