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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. Where are the two boys from Minnesota headed in their flat bed truck?

2. Why is Sal's friend ejected from the upscale restaurant in San Francisco?

3. Who did Dean, Marylou, and Ed Dunkel leave in Tucson and why?

4. Who does Sal introduce to Dean with whom he forms a strong friendship?

5. Who arrives in Denver while Sal is staying there?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why doesn't the driver offer Sal any food on his trip from Pittsburgh to New York?

2. What does Sal learn about Dean's love life in Denver?

3. What are Sal's living arrangements while he is in Denver?

4. Who is "The Ghost?"

5. What happens to Sal, Dean, Marylou, and Ed Dunkel in Washington, D.C.?

6. What does Old Bull Lee warn Sal about in New Orleans?

7. What does the group of friends do while in New York on New Year's Eve?

8. What does Sal find out when he calls Chad King after he arrives in Denver?

9. What does Dean inform the group about at a party where Carlo is reading his poetry?

10. What is happening in Sal Paradise's life before he meets Dean Moriarty?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

On the Road depicts counterculture in 1950s America.

a. How do the main characters exemplify counterculture in the novel?

b. Why were they considered counterculture at the time?

c. Would they still be considered counterculture today?

Essay Topic 2

Jazz music is an underlying theme in On the Road.

a. Describe the role of jazz in the Beat movement.

b. Describe how jazz influences how On the Road was written.

Essay Topic 3

Sal has views about different groups who were marginalized in mid-20th century America. What are his views on these groups? Are there any differences among categories of people? If so, why? Cite specific examples from the book.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 561 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample