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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 kind of pictures does Ed think resulted from the Kitt's photo shoot?

2. On the first day of the canoe trip, for what does Lewis tell Ed he wants to be ready?

3. Which of the men invited to take the canoe trip is more than happy to agree?

4. What tempts Ed to pull out of the canoe trip at the last minute?

5. What does the Kitt's model wear for Ed's photo shoot?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the mood that comes over Ed when he returns to his office and is alone with his thoughts.

2. After the rape and the disposal of the body, how does Ed feel when he hears the worst whitewater of the trip ahead of them?

3. After the rape, why does Ed side with Lewis and cast the deciding vote to hide the body instead of reporting the incident to the authorities?

4. After finding the body of the man he shot and realizing he might have shot the wrong man, how does Ed feel?

5. Why does Ed react badly when he goes to the hospital to talk to Lewis and sees patrol cars out front?

6. How does Ed react to the eventual filling in of the dammed area of the river?

7. After killing the attacker, how does Ed feel when he realizes that Bobby, true to form, hasn't done as he'd promised and taken Lewis to safety at first light?

8. On the morning of the second day of the canoe trip, why does Ed miss the buck both times he shoots at him?

9. On the second day of the trip, how is Ed swift enough to reach the shotgun first when the man holding it is shot?

10. While climbing the cliff after their attacker, how does Ed develop the necessary skills to overcome his lack of climbing ability?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The title and the theme of this novel is Deliverance. This theme can be found throughout the book in events both large and small. Describe at least four scenes or events in which the author has used this theme, citing examples and explaining how the theme of deliverance applies in each instance.

Essay Topic 2

What would you have done if you had taken a whitewater canoe trip similar to the one described in the story? Would you have acted as Lewis and Ed did if you were attacked in a similar manner, or would you have made a choice similar to the one Drew made? Why would you have decided the way you did? What factors would you have considered when making your decision? What do you think would have happened as a result of that decision?

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the following options to write about:

1) Throughout the book, contrasts are made between the suburban lifestyle of the four main characters and the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the rural South where the trip takes place. Compare and contrast these two lifestyles as described in the book. Tell why you think the author chose these two groups to portray in his novel.

2) Discuss James Dickey's choice of the rural South as a setting for his novel. Tell what you think led him to choose this setting. Explain why and how his choice of place works well for this story or why you think it does not. Imagine the story with a different setting. Tell how that different setting might change the outcome of the story.

(see the answer keys)

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