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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. Abbey enjoys the playful antics of the

2. Why were the little calves terrified during the roundup?

3. The only stream that flows perennially through the park is

4. Why did Abbey's friend from Cleveland think the desert would be a better place if it had water?

5. Scobie is only able to sleep

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Where in this chapter does Abbey foreshadow a story involving quicksand?

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. How seriously is Abbey taking this government job?

5. Explain Abbey's frustration with Roy Scobie.

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

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

8. Why was Turnbow Cabin built?

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

10. Explain Abbey's vague contempt for human beings that emerges in this chapter.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Could you, and would you, volunteer for a job through the summer in the desert, knowing the harsh conditions? Why do you think Edward Abbey deliberately, and more than once, took the Park Ranger job for the summer, which was clearly an extreme challenge? Is he a little crazy, as he notes? What does the experience provide him with, if anything?

Essay Topic 2

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 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?

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