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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. Mackie would rather be rich than work for Scobie. If he were, he would

2. A man is shouting from the shore to Abbey and Newcomb about

3. Abbey cancels his plans for

4. Abbey admits that he, too, is a member of

5. The man who has initiated the search is the deceased man's

Short Essay Questions

1. Try to explain Abbey's rambling about naming things.

2. Abbey mentions thinking the unthinkable as he drives through the desert past the Arches headquarters. To what is he referring?

3. How does Abbey feel about leaving the desert and returning to the city?

4. What does Abbey say, indirectly, about change?

5. Why do the men make jokes about the dead man?

6. The poet to whom Abbey refers in this chapter when he says, "It was all foreseen a half century ago," is Robinson Jeffers, and his poem is entitled "Broken Balance." Why does Abbey not provide the reader with that information, when he has so adamantly laid out his reasoning and feelings for us in the previous paragraphs?

7. What is the difference between Abbey's heat waves and a mirage?

8. If Abbey is somewhat indifferent to the death of a fellow human being, why would that be true?

9. Why does Edward Abbey seemingly push the limits of safety by living in isolation and putting himself in dangerous situations?

10. Why was Abbey not interested in living with the Supai Havasu Indians?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Consider the time(s) in history that this book was written. By the time of the last printing of this story, what had happened that had exposed, particularly to Americans, the true nature of the rat race we had created? Would this book have been more important if it had been written during another era? Would it have been given more attention by reviewers and critics if it had been written in this decade? Be sure to read Abbey's Preface to learn about how the book was received.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Is Edward Abbey depressed? His inability to stop or shift the tides of progress comes through in his writing. Is he hopeful, or has he given up on the human race altogether? Explain your impressions, and provide examples.

(see the answer keys)

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