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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. Before Lewis arrives to begin the canoe trip, what does Ed's wife do to make Ed feel better?

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

3. How do Ed and his partner divide up the work in their business?

4. While in Oree, what animal(s) does Ed wonder about getting a chance to hunt?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. On the second day of the canoe trip, why is Bobby's paddling so erratic?

2. When no body has been found after he first day of dragging the river, why doesn't Ed return the next day when the search for the body will continue?

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

4. How does the canoe trip change Ed's attitude towards his work?

5. Learning that Ed killed their attacker, why is Bobby surprised that Ed did what he'd set out to do?

6. How does Ed feel upon learning that Drew was shot?

7. At the luncheon, why does Ed think Bobby and Drew won't take the canoe trip?

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

9. 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?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The events of the trip changed Ed Gentry. Describe Ed as James Dickey wanted you to see him at the beginning of the story, then describe him at the end. Are you surprised by those changes? Why or why not? Do you think James Dickey does a good job of taking the reader through the steps necessary for that transformation? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Sex is a theme that recurs throughout the book. Discuss at least three places in the novel where the author uses sex as a tool to advance the plot or build characters. Describe some of the scenes in which sex plays an important part and explain how it is used in each scene and how the use of sex in that scene advances the plot or deepens the reader's understanding of the characters involved.

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