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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. Johnny often finds Annabelle in the company of _____________.

2. Where does Mac meet Fred Hoff?

3. How many boxes does the tailor give Fainy?

4. When Ike goes to the house where his mother lived, what do they see there?

5. Whom does Johnny meet on the train that is from a wealthy family?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of personality does Janey have?

2. What do Fred Hoff and Mac share in common?

3. What happens at the theater? What does Mac do?

4. When Fainy accepts a job with Doc Bingham, what does he learn about his new place of employment right away?

5. What does Fred Hoff offer Mac?

6. What do you learn about Mac's personality through his choices in pages. 62-84?

7. Why does Johnny have to leave college?

8. After meeting Ben Evans, what does Mac decide?

9. Where does Janey work in Washington DC? What knowledge does she acquire?

10. What happens when Fainy and Bingham ride the train to Michigan?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Every main character in the 42nd Parallel (Janey, Mac, Ward, Eleanor, and Charley) wants to find a purpose in life and seeks meaning through self-expression. Which characters find purpose and direction to their lives and in what ways? Which characters do not achieve this? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the concept of loneliness as it is exhibited in the 42nd Parallel. Which of the characters are lonely? Are they all lonely in some way? Explain the loneliness and the methods and attempts to overcome it.

Essay Topic 3

The 42nd Parallel was known as the major storm path across North America. The 42nd parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 42 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. The 42nd Parallel of latitude runs right through the heart of the United States. What do you think of John dos Passos' choice of title for the book? Is it appropriate? Explain. How does this title relate to the five characters of Fainy McCreary (Mac), Janey, J. Ward Moorehouse, Eleanor Stoddard, and Charley Anderson?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 793 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample