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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. Why does Patty say she is angry with Rusty-James?

2. What does Rusty-James say he has been doing for the last few years?

3. What one thing so worries Rusty-James that he cannot think about his future?

4. Who is quiet as they wait for Biff in Chapter 3?

5. Why does Rusty-James say his friends should come with him to meet Biff?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the type of classes Rusty-James has in school impact his character?

2. What does ordering chocolate milk from the counter at Benny's say about Rusty-James?

3. Why does Rusty-James leave at midnight to go out with Smokey and his cousin?

4. What is important about Steve's behavior in the city in Chapter 7?

5. What is the importance of Rusty-James losing his taste for alcohol?

6. Why does Smokey believe he would be president of a gang and Rusty-James would be a lieutenant?

7. What does Motorcycle Boy mean when he tells Steve, "loyalty is his only vice?"

8. Why does Rusty-James not understand the conversation his father and Motorcycle Boy have about Cassandra?

9. Why does it take Rusty-James longer than he thought to forget about Motorcycle Boy's death?

10. What does Rusty-James mean when he says that Motorcycle Boy is living in a glass bubble?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the author's methods at the beginning of the novel set the tone?

Part 1) How does Steve's arrival promote the tone of the novel at the beginning?

Part 2) How does Steve's mentioning Rusty-James' resemblance to someone enhance the tone set forth at the onset of the novel?

Part 3) How does Rusty-James' forgetfulness set up the suspense?

Find descriptions from the text to support your answer and to provide evidence for your opinion.

Essay Topic 2

Underage drinking, gambling, and smoking are a part of Rusty-James' everyday life. Analyze how these events alter Rusty-James' life and impact his interaction with those around him. How do these indulgences derail his life? Find descriptions from the text to support your answer and to provide evidence for your opinion.

Essay Topic 3

What is the importance of Rusty-James' knife scar? Why is this an important detail about his character? Find descriptions from the text to support your answer and to provide evidence for your opinion.

(see the answer keys)

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