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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 Sal's arrival at Dean and Camille's house signify?

2. What is one of the things Sal and Dean discuss before Dean departs West to see Camille and his children?

3. What does Sal do when he returns to Denver in the spring of 1949?

4. What happens to Sal in Mexico City?

5. Where do Sal and Marylou stay in San Francisco?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Stan on the way to Mexico?

2. Why does Dean want to take the trip with Sal and Stan?

3. How do Sal, Dean, and Marylou get money so they can make it from Arizona to California?

4. What arrives in San Francisco that allows Sal to return to New York?

5. What happens between Sal and Marylou in San Francisco?

6. What decision did the other passengers override Sal and Dean on in Sacramento?

7. Who are the other passengers in the travel bureau car that belongs to a wealthy man in Chicago?

8. What does Sal do to put a damper on the friendship with Dean and Camille?

9. What does Old Bull think is a sign from Sal's father?

10. Where do Sal, Dean, and Stan Shepherd travel in Part 4 of On the Road?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sometimes individuals or groups who refuse to adjust to mainstream society experience penalties for their decision. Do Sal and his friends experience any negative effects from those who are in mainstream America?

Cite specific examples from the book to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the two central characters in On the Road, Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, on the following:

a. The idea of being on the road.

b. The role of their fathers in their lives.

c. Their attitudes toward women.

Essay Topic 3

In American culture, starting as early as the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the California Gold Rush, California is viewed as the land of hope and promise.

a. Explain how California is viewed by Okies and Mexican immigrants in On the Road.

b. Explain how it is viewed by Sal Paradise.

(see the answer keys)

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