View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is Lee going back to Oregon?

2. Which character does Joe-Ben not like?

3. From what is Draeger suffering?

4. With whom does Hank ride across the river?

5. What happens to the bobcats?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the prologue that opens the first chapter.

2. Describe the scene at the shack between Henry, Lee and Viv.

3. Describe the prologue that opens Chapter 4.

4. Why does the real estate man soap his house?

5. What does Jonas' note to Hank say?

6. Why does Henry's relationship with Bobby break down?

7. In what way is Viv described as different?

8. What happens to the bobcats?

9. Whose perspectives does the narrative move between as Viv, Lee and Henry wait at the shack?

10. What does Lee tell his housemate on the phone?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify moments in the book that are dictated by the strike.

1) How far-reaching is the strike is on the local community? Does it affect areas outside the community as well?

2) Choose a character in the novel and find out how the strike affects and restricts that character's decisions.

Essay Topic 2

Sometime a Great Notion is an influential novel. Choose a book written after Sometimes a Great Notion that you think was influenced by the novel and discuss their similarities in terms of

a) plot

b) character

c) themes.

Essay Topic 3

Examine the theme of revenge. What characters in the novel are out for revenge? How does it affect their decisions and who they are in the book? Does the character's revenge become destructive? Why does Kesey use a revenge theme in the novel? What meaning does it give the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 724 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample