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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. Just before he heard a jeep approaching, Abbey saw a

2. Roy Scobie is known for being frugal with

3. The sounds of the mourning doves suggests to Edward

4. Abbey feels if you have reached the point of needing moisture from the barrel cactus

5. Viviano does not understand

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain why Abbey prefers not to use a flashlight in the dark.

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

3. The author has arrived in Utah, having come from New Mexico. How different is the terrain in this new place from what he is accustomed to?

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

5. Explain Abbey's frustration with Roy Scobie.

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

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

8. What is Roy Scobie's problem?

9. What advantages did the government's Atomic Energy Commission have in finding uranium? Are they portrayed as a benificent agency?

10. Abbey mentions that both men he meets are married and have children. Can we assume Abbey is neither? Why or why not?

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

Edward Abbey goes into great detail in his story about Husk and Graham and the search for uranium. Why would he embellish this story so much, given that it was simply a legend in the area and he could not possibly have known such detail? What is the point of drawing the reader along through this story? Is there some hint that he provides that tells us who the real villain is? Do a detailed reading and write about Abbey's literary license in turning this into a detailed tale, and describe what effect he is attempting to create with it. What devices does he use within his story of Husk and Graham for irony?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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