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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. Where does the train stop?

2. What kind of month does the author say October is for boys?

3. Why does Will's father say he feels sad?

4. What does Will think that Mr. Coogar wants them to do?

5. What does Jim decide to take off the roof of his house?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Jim and Will react differently to the carnival poster?

2. How does Jim upset Will at the end of Chapter 21?

3. What wakes up Jim and Will during the night?

4. How does Robert react to seeing Will and Jim outside his window?

5. What scares Jim and Will about the train?

6. What disappoints the boys about the carnival the next day?

7. How does the salesman find out whose house the storm will hit?

8. What is Mr Dark's new act?

9. How do Will and Jim react when the salesman tells them the storm will hit Jim's house?

10. What story do Will and Jim tell the lightning rod salesman?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Bradbury's life. In what way do you think his life and personality are reflected in the book? In what ways is he like or unlike the main character?

Essay Topic 2

In 1983 SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES was made into a film starring Jason Robards. Why do you think the themes and ideas in the book were still relevant 25 years later? How did the filmmakers adapt the themes to fit in with the new environment? How did these changes affect the meaning of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Examine Bradbury's representation of carnival people and their lives.

1) How are carnival people's lives and beliefs different from average people's beliefs?

2) Why does Bradbury represent carnival people as evil?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 746 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample