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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. Alone in his office after the canoe trip was proposed, how does Ed get past his depression?

2. What does Ed think about the Kitt's model when he first sees her?

3. What do Bobby and Drew contribute to the enjoyment of their first night's camp?

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

5. For what disaster have Lewis and his wife prepared?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Ed choose to bury the dead attacker instead of telling the authorities what happened?

2. From where does Ed think the model in the photo shoot is?

3. On the second day of the canoe trip, why does Lewis rearrange the gear to lighten Ed and Bobby's load?

4. How does the discovery of Drew's body change the dynamics of the situation?

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

6. Why does Lewis say the Griner brothers won't just take the money and not deliver the cars to Aintry?

7. Who does Ed believe is Lewis' best friend?

8. What's the significance of the owl hunting from Ed's tent the first night?

9. Describe the map of the Cuhulawsassee River that Lewis shows to the men at the luncheon before the canoe trip.

10. Why does a strange noise bother Ed during the first night of the trip?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While climbing the cliff and preparing to kill the attacker, Ed takes time to admire the awesome view. It is a well known psychological phenomenon that during times of great stress some people become acutely aware of seemingly insignificant things. Choose at least three of the following to discuss:

1) Tell why you think James Dickey chooses to include this phenomenon in his novel and why he does so at this point in the story? What revelation about Ed results from this scene?

2) Do you believe this event adds to the drama of the situation or detracts from it? Explain your answer.

3) If any of the other characters had climbed the cliff to kill their attacker, do you think that character would have stopped and admired the view? Why or why not? Why does the author choose this character to accomplish this task?

Essay Topic 2

This is the story of Ed's transformation from a man drifting through life into a man of action. Write about one of the following:

1) Trace how the author accomplished that transformation through the events that happened to him, telling how his decisions at these moments contribute to his transformation and to his actions afterward. If he had made other decisions, how would those differences affect the structure of the novel?

2) The title of the novel tells its theme, which is followed through several strands of the story. Give at least two ways the title describes what happened to characters in the novel and explain your reasoning.

Essay Topic 3

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?

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This section contains 912 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample