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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 dish does Lonnie ask to have on Christmas?

2. What quality of Lonnie's does Ralph not like?

3. What happens to Lonnie as Ralph gets more and more clay figure jobs?

4. What Texas town to Lonnie and Ralph head to next?

5. What does Lonnie do to the mold of the first banker's bust?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the boys manage to get the milk necessary for the rice pudding?

2. How do the boys spend Christmas evening?

3. What food is Ralph preparing for Christmas dinner and what ingredients does he send Lonnie to town to purchase?

4. What does Ralph not want his mother to know, and what are his plans for settling down?

5. What happens after the banker approves the clay bust?

6. What does Lonnie insist on doing when he has fully paid his portion of the car?

7. How is Lonnie more of a hindrance than a help regarding the clay bust work and what does Ralph need to do so that the artwork will not be ruined?

8. What positive points does Ralph have to focus on after Lonnie leaves with the car and all Ralph's money?

9. Describe the difficult time that Ralph has with the attorney in El Paso.

10. What does Ralph encourage Lonnie to do when Lonnie tells him he is broke, and what does Ralph think when Lonnie leaves the theater halfway through a movie?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of disappointment. Identify at least two characters who either embody or experience disappointment then cite an example to support your answers.

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

Explain the typical prognosis for someone like Ralph who is diagnosed with diabetes in the early 1900s. Why was Ralph's trip important in many ways? What was Ralph's state of mind in trying to change the course of his life despite the prognosis?

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