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

2. We can assume that Abbey decides to set off to the mountains

3. Abbey studies the Colorado's tributaries on

4. Edward Abbey and Johnny try to

5. The German who befriended Abbey was, in Abbey's opinion,

Short Essay Questions

1. Do you think Edward Abbey is a fanatic? Is his fear of a future dictatorial regime unfounded?

2. Abbey does not speak highly of the man-made lakes on the Colorado. Why?

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

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

5. What influences Abbey's final decision to abandon his quest for Moon-Eye?

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

7. The trip down the Colorado for Abbey and Newcomb is blissful and idyllic. What, if any, is the dark side of this story?

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

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

10. Of what is Abbey reminded as he lay naked on top of Tukuhnikivats?

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

In the chapter entitled The Heat of Noon, Abbey makes a list of the preparations that would be necessary in order to impose a dictatorship on a country. Do a close reading of his list and in an essay, write a response to each of his entries. Was he exaggerating? Is he a radical? Are any of these conditions currently in place? Note where you agree or disagree with his opinions, and why. Where would Abbey fall in today's society politically?

Essay Topic 3

Desert Solitaire was first written in 1956, and reprinted several times after that. Abbey obviously added some text over time. Do a close reading of the section where Abbey describes the experience of noontime in the desert as a psychedelic experience. Are you able to "feel" and understand what he is trying to say? Is he, perhaps, suffering from heat stroke at that time, or is he disoriented. Discuss in your essay the kinds of literary tools Abbey uses to help us experience his story.

(see the answer keys)

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