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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. What does the stranger Billy meets in the Epilogue say erased his memory in a dream he had?

2. Where do the men find a litter of puppies hidden in the mesa?

3. What does Billy go to retrieve for John Grady only to find him dead upon his return?

4. What do the cowboys find has been getting killed in Chapter 3?

5. Where is the first bad gash John Grady suffers during the knife fight with Eduardo?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does John Grady do at his house just after finding out about Magdalena's death?

2. How is Billy described when he is first seen in 2002?

3. How do John Grady and Billy find a litter of puppies that are trapped on the mesa?

4. How is John Grady's renovations on his new house described?

5. What does John Grady do after killing Eduardo?

6. How does John Grady describe Magdalena's escape plan to her?

7. What happens when Magdalena gets into the car at the cafe with the person she believes was hired by John Grady?

8. How does Magdalena end up in a hospital?

9. How is Billy's work with a family at the end of the book described?

10. How are John Grady and Billy able to save the litter of puppies they find trapped on the mesa?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The presence of violence plays an important role in the book and allows the author to display excellent visual portrayals. Part 1.) What might the author wish to show about the nature of his characters based on the numerous acts of violence portrayed throughout the book? Part 2.) How does the author make use of visual imagery in his writing more during violent scenes than in others, and what purpose might he have for using this method? Part 3.) What can we learn about the nature of Billy's character based on his tendency to stay away from violent acts although often having experience with them?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author's portrayal of the concept of restitution in the book. Given John Grady's experiences with restitution, what might the author be saying about fulfilling our urges of restitution towards those that have wronged us?

Essay Topic 3

Horses play a starring role in many parts of the book and allow the reader to better understand the book's characters based on their treatment of these animals. Part 1.) What do horses appear to mean and represent to the cowboys in the book, and what role do they play in their everyday life? Part 2.) Considering this role, what can we learn about John Grady's motivations when he decides to sell his horse in order to marry Magdalena? Part 3.) How does the author use horses as a way of judging the character of the cowboys?

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