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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. In the Epilogue, where does Billy sleep when he has a dream?

2. Which of the following things does John Grady not tell Billy about just before dying?

3. What do the cowboys conclude has been killing on their ranch and must be stopped in Chapter 3?

4. How long does John Grady spend fixing up the house for he and Magdalena to live in?

5. What do the men use along with their horse to free the puppies from being trapped in the book?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is John Grady and Eduardo's knife fight described?

2. How is the dream of a stranger described to Billy in the epilogue?

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

4. How does John Grady discover that Magdalena has died?

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

6. Why does the blind man refuse John Grady's request that he be Magdalena's godfather?

7. How are John Grady and Billy able to coerce their horses to go to the top of the mesa?

8. What happens when Magdalena has a seizure while she is with a client in Chapter 3?

9. How is Eduardo killed?

10. What is the nature of the information John Grady tells Billy just before he dies?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's portrayal of disease in as an important theme in the book. What might the author be saying about the nature of Magdalena's character given the fact that her disease defined much of her actions and experiences in life? In this respect, what symbolic meaning might disease have in the book regarding Magdalena?

Essay Topic 2

Death is one of the central themes discussed in the book. Part 1.) How does the author address the experience of one's spouse dying through characters like Mac and John Grady, and what purpose might he have for doing this? Part 2.) Why does John Grady willingly fight Eduardo to the death after Magdalena's murder, is this somehow an ironic response? Part 3.) What impact does death appear to have for Billy by the end of the book?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the author's use of tragedy throughout the book, namely regarding the characters Billy and John Grady. What lessons are these characters able to learn due to their experiences with tragedy and what can we learn about their nature based on the way they handle these tragedies?

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