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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. Ralph does not want to buy the car because if has flaky paint and __________________.

2. What does Ralph analyze from his observations on the movie set?

3. What do the people in #34 do when they arrive?

4. With whom does Ralph reunite in Chapter 6?

5. Who is Ralph's family doctor?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who are the Larsens and what role do they play in Ralph's life?

2. What is revealed about Ralph's character in the first two chapters?

3. Who creates a commotion on the movie set one night?

4. Why does Ralph question whether or not the car was a wise purchase?

5. Why was Ralph not able to serve in the military during World War I?

6. Why does Ralph's mother send him to a doctor and what is the diagnosis?

7. Why does Ralph allow Lonnie to search for a car, and what is Ralph's opinion of the car Lonnie finds?

8. What are Ralph's plans for employment when he reaches Arizona and why does he have a hard time finding a job?

9. How does the mechanic back out on his deal with the boys, and what does he do to try to keep the boys from taking the car?

10. Why does Lonnie have to walk back to Mesa the next day?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a character study of Ralph. What are his physical characteristics? What are his motivations? What are his fears? What are his dreams? What else can you say about Ralph?

Essay Topic 2

Explain some of the examples of regionalism found in the book. Can regionalism include more than accents and food? What else encompasses the culture and personality of a region? What are the major differences Ralph found in his new life in Arizona as opposed to the life he led before in Boston?

Essay Topic 3

Integrity seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of integrity? Why does it have such a prevalent place in Ralph's life? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

(see the answer keys)

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