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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. What was the name of Jack Gantos's father?

2. What kind of books did Gantos find himself reading regularly in St. Croix in Section 2, Chapter 1?

3. With what did Gantos and Rik fill the bottom of the crate?

4. What did the family that Jack Gantos rented a room from in Florida while working on finishing school sell from their home?`

5. What does Gantos claim to be the cause of his acne in the cover photo?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author describe the cover photo from the book in Section 1, Chapter 1? What circumstances does he relate which caused his acne?

2. What did Gantos learn from Hamilton along the journey in Section 2, Chapter 3?

3. How was Gantos inspired by the writing of Jack Kerouac in Section 1, Chapter 4?

4. What was the second business deal Gantos made with Rik in Section 2, Chapter 1? Why did he take the offer?

5. Where did Gantos's father take the family and point out criminals to Gantos?

6. Where did Gantos live the remainder of his senior year in high school? Where was his family?

7. What experience did Gantos have within the political revolution in St. Croix?

8. What did Gantos and Rik pack in the crate? How was Gantos paid?

9. How old was Gantos when he began working full-time? How does he describe the work and his lifestyle in Section 1, Chapter 2?

10. What did Gantos do instead of departing for St. Croix?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Jack Gantos' life with the Bacon family. Why did Gantos move in with the Bacons? What business did the Bacons run from their home? How did the Bacon family feel about Gantos? What caused him to be kicked out?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the narrative structure of the autobiography. Where does Gantos' exposition transition into the rising action of the plot? Where is the climax of the narrative? What takes place in the denouement? How traditional is this plot structure?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the setting of St. Croix in the early 1970s and the business of John Gantos. Why was the business failing in St. Croix? What led to the uprisings? How did Gantos feel upon his arrival? How much hope did Gantos have for building money for college in this situation? What did the family hope to do?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 990 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample