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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 Boyd say about the men who killed his parents?

2. What do Billy and Boyd see in the Mexican town of Morelos?

3. What makes the wolf grow even wilder as Billy holds her?

4. What does Billy learn about his parents when he returns to his home?

5. Where had Boyd thought Billy had gone during Billy's time away from home?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Billy set a wolf trap in the vaqueros' smoldering campfire?

2. How do Billy and Boyd discuss their parents' murders?

3. What does Billy find when he returns home?

4. How does Billy provide food and water for the wolf on the trip?

5. Under what circumstances do the boys encounter the young girl?

6. What role does the dog play in the story and what does it come to symbolize?

7. What life lesson does Billy learn when he visits the old man to talk about trapping?

8. What happens when the wolf gets free of her muzzle?

9. How does Billy choose to go to Mexico instead of returning home?

10. Cite some examples that point out the relationship between Billy and Boyd.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a brief character study of Mr. Parham. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him at this point?

Essay Topic 2

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of greed. Identify at least two examples about greed in the book. Then explain how each example supports the theme of greed.

Essay Topic 3

McCarthy uses more than one instance of irony in the story. Cite at least two other examples you can identify in the story and note why they are examples of irony. What is the major irony in the story? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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