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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. In which direction does Håkan travel after escaping from the clutches of the woman in Clangston?

2. When Håkan eats birds in order to stay alive, he also drinks what salty substance?

3. What birds does Håkan eat in order to survive after he escapes from Clangston?

4. The prologue takes place on a ship near what location?

5. At what point in Lorimer's life had he moved to America?

Short Essay Questions

1. What coping mechanism does Håkan employ in order to get his fear under control and what is its level of effectiveness??

2. Describe Håkan's experiences in Clangston.

3. How does Håkan finally escape from Clangston?

4. Describe Håkan's family situation, as it is depicted once the body of the narrative begins.

5. Discuss an instance when the theme of collectivism appears within the novel.

6. What method does Håkan's father Erik use to obtain the money to send his sons to America?

7. As Håkan's first summer away from his family comes to a close, what is said to be "all Håkan could think of" (40)?

8. In what way does Diaz feature the motif of sound within the scene of the massacre?

9. Why is the extremely large man a topic of conversation for the other passengers on the ship, other than his size?

10. How does the theme of delusion enter the narrative after Håkan's escape from the dragoon and the woman with the diseased gums?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Diaz’s messages about guilt and responsibility within the novel In the Distance. Focus especially on events such as Håkan’s change from thinking about Linus as his potential savior, to seeing himself as the one who needs to find Linus so that he can protect his older brother from the big bad world to which Håkan has been exposed.

Essay Topic 2

Sensory details are used frequently by Diaz in order to create vivid pictures of each character's progression through the narrative of In the Distance. Choose three scenes in which sensory details are heavily used and discuss how the sensory details used serve Diaz’s creation of vivid characters to populate the narrative.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the instances of irony within the narrative of In the Distance and analyze Diaz’s purpose for including each instance you discuss.

(see the answer keys)

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