View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Riley?

2. Why does Grandfather hate the ocean?

3. How long does Billy say it takes for a colt to be born?

4. Why does Grandfather accept Jody's offer for a drink when they are sitting on the porch discussing "westering"?

5. What does Jody have to eat at Jess Taylor's ranch in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Chapter 3 has significantly more violence than the other chapters in the book. Discuss at least 2 instances where violence appears and what Steinbeck is trying to convey by putting violence into an otherwise non-violent text.

Essay Topic 2

Write an argument paper discussing who is responsible for Gabilan's death. Make sure to use quotations from the text to support your position.

Essay Topic 3

Perhaps because of the nature of a cattle ranch, blood makes multiple appearances in _The Red Pony_. Discuss the use of blood in the novel. Is it positive? Negative? What does it represent? Does its symbolism change? How can a reader make sense of blood when it makes an appearance in the text?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 273 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample