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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 Clara want?

2. Who is at Clara's ranch when Call arrives?

3. What does Gus tell Newt while Call carves the sign for Deets?

4. Who stops Call from beating the soldier to death?

5. How does Blue Duck die?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Clara tell July about Elmira?

2. What does the crew report about Jake?

3. What does Clara tell Gus about marriage?

4. Why does Gus not go after Blue Duck?

5. Why is Po Campo not as excited about reaching Ogallala as the rest of the crew?

6. What does Old Hugh do for the ranch?

7. Why does July feel guilty?

8. What does Blue Duck tell Call?

9. What does July offer Gus?

10. What does Call do for Deets that surprises everyone?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lorena gets stuck in Lonesome Dove and sees little options for her future other than becoming a prostitute. She sees her occupation as an accident of circumstances.

Part 1) How is Lorena a victim of circumstances? Provide examples from the novel.

Part 2) How much control does Lorena have on her life? Could she make different choices? Use examples from the novel to illustrate Lorena's choices.

Part 3) Does Lorena take charge of her life by the end of the novel? How or how not? Cite examples from the book to support your case.

Essay Topic 2

The novel is full of tragedies, such as the deaths of Sean and Deets. Pick three tragedies in the novel and explain how the surviving characters cope. How are the tragedies similar? How are they different? Are they a result of choices or accident?

Essay Topic 3

Gus thinks about the chain of events that Jake sets into motion by not facing the consequences of his accidental shooting in Arkansas. Pick three or four events from the novel. How are these events based on accident or circumstance? How might things have turned out differently if the events you chose did not happen, or happened differently? How are these accidents related to choices made by one or more characters? Use examples from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 753 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample