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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 quality of the dresser causes Håkan to decide not to break a piece of it off for later use?

2. Helen is murdered in what way after being raped?

3. What aspect of the dresser does Håkan consider breaking and taking with him on his journey?

4. How "many mornings" after the caravan boy's accident does Jarvis announce the caravan will be taking a "cutoff" (125)?

5. Håkan mentally describes the sheriff as "the man with the" (165) what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Håkan believes what action to be impossible in relation to the men killed by his own hand?

2. What event leads to Håkan's first experience of an emotion "other than pain and guilt" (140) since the killings?

3. What is the significance of the wooden dresser Håkan finds in the desert?

4. What does Hakan observe about Jarvis's reputation among the caravan's members?

5. Describe the way in which Håkan views the event he consistently calls "the killings" (130) throughout the narrative.

6. In what way is the sheriff's corruption the key to Håkan's freedom?

7. For what purpose does Diaz employ character foils within Håkan's period of captivity?

8. What characteristic of Asa makes a deep impression on Håkan?

9. What method does Håkan employ once he decides to avoid all future encounters with other humans?

10. During the period of time when Håkan travels with the help of a burro and a horse, how does he view his goal destination of New York City?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Look carefully at the passages of In the Distance that describe the close relationships between Håkan and his various mentors within the narrative. What is Diaz’s purpose for portraying three characters as different as James Brennan, Lorimer, and Asa in the roles of Håkan’s mentors?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze Diaz’s focus on the motif of violence in the novel In the Distance. What message is Diaz sending about violence, America, and the human condition?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Diaz’s use of metaphor, simile, imagery, and other literary devices as a means to send particular thematic messages within the narrative of In the Distance.

(see the answer keys)

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