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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 does Mac think about Doc Burton in terms of his beliefs?

2. What does Mac hope will happen once again, the same as with Burke, to incite the men to fight?

3. Who accuses Mac of being insensitive and cold-blooded after Mac says he wants to take Joy's body back to camp?

4. What do the group of men complain about having to do?

5. What does Mac believe will help get the people on their side in light of Joy's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where do the cows, bull calf, and lima beans for the strikers come from?

2. How does Joy's death in Chapter 9 solidify the men in their cause?

3. To whom does Jim attribute his cool demeanor when London praises him for it?

4. Who is group man?

5. At the beginning of Chapter 8, what kinds of necessities are built on the campsite.

6. Why does Doc Burton make the remark about shooting Mac if he were the boss of the other side?

7. What does the false headline in the paper claim that infuriates Mac?

8. How does group man take over in Sam and Jim's group?

9. In Chapter 13, how does the reader see that there is a thin line between the migrant workers and the townspeople during the funeral march?

10. What does Mac want to happen again, similar to Burke's incident, that he believes will push the men forward?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Jim directs the sacrifice of the cows in Chapter 13. How does this sacrifice and the total transformation of the men into group man reinforce one another? Why and how does the sacrifice reinforce group man within the narrative? How has the tone among the men and within the camp transformed into something different at this point? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

London and Mac both assume leadership roles among the men throughout the novel. Who is truly the better choice? Why? What attributes do these two men have that are advantages for a leader and disadvantages for a leader? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Chapter 12 can be characterized almost completely by dry and depressing adjectives and images. How does the chapter begin and end? What images are presented to create this somber, depressing, hopeless tone? Scour through the chapter and pick out specific quotations that show how this tone is expressed by Steinbeck and then construct a well-written essay explaining why you think this chapter is characterized in such a way. What is going on at this point in the novel? Use specific information from the text to support your answer.

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