View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the Doc ask Nora for when he visits her house in Part III?

2. Who is in the picture with Merrion Crace that hangs in the Mercantile?

3. What spirit does Nora ask Josie to contact for her?

4. What is Shaw afraid that the men he is with will do after he dies?

5. What is a sign that a camel needs water badly?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Lurie observe that the happiness of a stranger inspires in others?

2. What does Nora tell Sheriff Harlan Bell about the whereabouts of Rob and Dolan when he first asks in Part IV?

3. Why does Josie seem to take such a long time getting ready to pick berries in Part IV?

4. In Part III, why does Jolly ask Lurie to strike him in the jaw, but not too hard?

5. What does Marshal John Berger tell Lurie when he finally catches up with him in Part IV?

6. What kind of harm comes to The Sentinel offices in Part III?

7. In Part IV, why does Nora feel guilty for having taken so long to go look for Josie?

8. What does Doc Almenara propose to Nora in Part III when he visits her house?

9. What is the problem that drives Gabriela and Lurie apart in Part IV?

10. In Part III, what contraption does Ab the chef try to offload on other people the travelers in Lurie's party meet?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do you think Nora is much more open to the idea that Josie's ability to communicate with the spirit world could be legitimate and true at the end of the novel than she is at the beginning? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay describing the role that supernatural forces and entities like fortune-telling, ghosts, and seances play in the plot of this novel.

Essay Topic 3

Lurie is deeply affected by several people's "wants" when they become spirits, especially those closest to him, like Hobb and Donovan. Write an essay exploring the symbolism of a spirit's "want." What does Lurie's "want" turn out to be at the end of the novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 743 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample