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

Short Answer Questions

1. JD Salinger begins to tell strangers his identity. What is their general reaction?

2. Why does Ray ask if JD Salinger eats soybeans?

3. After returning from their first expedition in Chisholm, Ray has another dream about Eddie. What figure is in the dream?

4. In "The Oldest Living Chicago Cub", while Ray, Salinger and Graham are making breakfast, who calls them on the phone?

5. How does Ray know Eddie?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Kinsella uses the literary technique of flashbacks to help fill in details about Ray's life. These flashbacks are interspersed with current activity, which form the combination of foreshadowing future events. In an essay, analyze the use of flashbacks to foreshadow future events. Use examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

For some, the baseball field in Iowa is considered heaven. For others, the baseball field is a way to get to heaven. Write an essay comparing these two occurrences. For which characters is the baseball field heaven, and for which characters is it a way to get to heaven? Use examples from the text to support your argument.

Essay Topic 3

Ray goes to extreme measures to fulfill the instructions of the voice in his head. For Ray, it's about more than simply doing what he is told. It is about fulfilling dreams. In an essay, analyze the theme of fulfilling dreams. Whose dreams are fulfilled? How?

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This section contains 331 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample