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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 Billy say when the man advises the boys to return home?

2. What tribe of Indians do Billy and Boyd encounter?

3. What does Billy put around the wolf's snout?

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

5. An old man in an Indian tribe warns Billy of ______________________.

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What are Billy's thoughts when he sees the wolf caught in the trap at the campfire?

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

4. Describe the boys' encounter with an Indian while they are out gathering wood one day.

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

6. How does the relationship between Billy and Boyd seem to deepen as they travel together?

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

8. What does Billy find when he returns home?

9. What trouble waits for Billy after crossing the river with the wolf who can't swim because of being muzzled?

10. When is the last time that Billy sees his father?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

McCarthy is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphor, and irony, then briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the overall setting for the novel. Why does McCarthy use the setting he does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

Essay Topic 3

Explain McCarthy's use of regionalism in the book. Cite examples of at least two different instances of regionalism and explain why the author used them where he did.

(see the answer keys)

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