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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 is in the bassoon case that Roy carries on the train?

2. What viewpoint does the author take when he tells us about Roy's declaration and what it might lead to?

3. How do fans react to Roy after Bump's death?

4. What does Max Mercy do that is harmful to Roy?

5. What happens to Sam Simpson?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Pop tell Roy about the pennant game and his dreams?

2. Why does Roy understand Pop's feelings so well about losing the game for his team? Compare his and Pop's experiences with failure.

3. Explain how Roy feels about Memo, Bump's girlfriend.

4. What does Roy decide to do to change his luck and get out of the great slump he is in?

5. How does Roy feel about Iris after he meets her in person. Why does he feel this way?

6. What does The Judge write in his letter to Roy with the $35 thousand?

7. How did Roy feel about accepting The Judge's offer and what did he do?

8. When Roy goes to see a fortune teller when he is in his big slump, she tells him he will meet a beautiful brunette. What is Roy's reaction?

9. Why is the train significant in Chapter One of the novel? What does it represent about Roy's life?

10. When a man comes to Roy and asks him to hit a home run for his sick child, what is Roy's reaction and what does he tell the man?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Roy's relationship with Memo and Iris. In what ways do they parallel, and in what ways are they opposite? What role does each play in Roy's life?

Essay Topic 2

Dreams appear throughout The Natural. Choose a couple of scenes including dreams and discuss how the dream scene relates to the overall narrative and its themes.

Essay Topic 3

Malamud paints the ballplayers as "larger than life" in the novel. Discuss passages in the book where the reader can see ballplayers rendered in a majestic, larger-than-life, or deity-like manner.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 850 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample