View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Abbey calls the rampant development of national parks

2. On his stomach, Abbey witnesses

3. Edward Abbey's description of a thunderstorm in the desert is

4. Edward Abbey lies like a snake on the edge of a dune to

5. Roy Scobie is a rancher obsessed with

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Abbey decide not to kill the rattlesnake under his doorstep?

2. For what does the author seem to be searching by taking this job?

3. Discuss how different the daily life of an pre-Columbian Native American was, as compared to the daily life of an American now.

4. Explain why many of the petroglyphs are found in caves too high for us to reach.

5. Abbey seems to jump back and forth in time in his book. Where in this chapter does that first become obvious?

6. What concession does Abbey make to man's ingenuity when it comes to life in the desert?

7. Explain Abbey's reasoning that joy may support survival.

8. How were the Park Service rules ambiguous as they were written in 1916?

9. How does Edward Abbey seem "polemic" in his views about national parks?

10. Why does Abbey's watch seem absurd to him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Edward Abbey is a reporter and narrator, explaining what he sees, hears, feels and experiences. However, he does not necessarily let the reader into his heart and soul regarding his personal life. He chooses this reclusive job, and makes journeys into wilderness areas where there are no people. Is Abbey a recluse by nature? Why does he seem to prefer this solitude? Are there hints in the story about his personal life? If so, describe and interpret them.

Essay Topic 2

As a tourist, one might have found Abbey to be mysterious. Although he had a great sense of humor with the tourists, he is clearly shrouding feelings that they don't know about, opinions that come through in his humorous sarcasm. In the Episodes and Visions chapter, do a close reading of Abbey's conversations and private thoughts, and analyze what you feel he wished he could say to them, instead of what he did say.

Essay Topic 3

Abbey and his friend, Newcomb, enjoy an incredible rafting trip down the Colorado River, separating themselves from humanity in general. Discuss in a detailed essay Abbey's mixed feelings of revulsion and delight about the human race. How does this trip down the river bring things into focus for him? Since he is a human himself, does he simply feel superior to most people, or are his objections more theoretical? Is the trip down the river a statement of some kind - does it hold a deeper meaning?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,118 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample