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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. Which of the four men going on the canoe trip is very social and well-liked by most people?

2. While driving to Oree, what does Ed tell Lewis about himself?

3. What does Ed like to do for his friends?

4. What memory does the sight of a red-and-white drive-in reawaken in Ed as he and Lewis drive past it?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. What does a local man in Oree suggest to Drew that he do?

2. On the cliff, waiting for their attacker to arrive, why is Ed good at guessing what the attacker will do when he arrives?

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. As Lewis and Ed drive to Oree, how does Lewis describe the lifestyle of the people in the hill country?

5. Why does Lewis share a canoe with Bobby when the men first enter the water?

6. What does Ed tell his wife when she asks if he really wants to go on the canoe trip?

7. Why does Drew want to bring his guitar on the canoe trip?

8. At the luncheon, of what does Lewis' mention of his bow make Bobby think?

9. Why does Lewis decide not to chide Ed for failing to hit the buck while hunting?

10. Why is the sheriff in Aintry more sympathetic to the men than his deputy is?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Foreshadowing is used throughout the story. Give examples of foreshadowing in the story, and tell why James Dickey chose to use it there. Does he use the technique well? Explain your answer. Do you think the use of foreshadowing in the story gives away future events unnecessarily? Does it blunt the impact of those events? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Ed Gentry, Lewis Medlock, Bobby Trippe, and Drew Ballinger are the four main characters in the book. They are alike in some ways, different in others.

1) Compare and contrast the characters of Ed and Lewis. How are they the same? How are they different? Tell why you think these differences exist.

2) What do you think would happen if Bobby Trippe and Drew Ballinger had not existed? Would the story still follow much the same path? What might be different if one or the other of these two men had not existed? Explain your answer.

3) Who is the better leader, Lewis or Ed? Why do you think this? Cite specific incidents from the story to support your case.

Essay Topic 3

In the story, Lewis is the leader of the group although his decisions are not always the right ones. When the men search for the Cahulawassee River in order to put their canoes in and begin the journey, Lewis chooses to find the river himself rather than follow men who know the area, which results in his getting the entire group lost. Write a paper in which you discuss at least two of the following points:

1) What qualities make a person a leader?

2) Why is Lewis the leader of this particular group? Do you think he is the best man for the job? Explain your answer.

3) Once the trip is underway, do you think his decisions are good ones? Why or why not?

4) What might happen differently if one of the others is the leader of the group?

(see the answer keys)

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