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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. When Ward marries and quits his job, he and his new wife hope for ________________________.

2. In the News Reel about Minor C. Fields, what is the name of the company he formed?

3. What place do they go to first on their journey in Europe that Annabelle dislikes?

4. What organization does Mac want to join by meeting legitimate Mexican arrivals?

5. How much rent will Janey have to pay as a boarder?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Charley do for work in Minneapolis when he moves there?

2. What does Mac do when the Zapata arrives in Mexico City?

3. What happens when Charley's girlfriend gets pregnant?

4. Initially, what decision does Johnny make about Annabelle in pages 151-172?

5. How did Janey become the personal secretary of J. Ward Moorehouse?

6. How does Eleanor's employment situation change when Eveline returns from Europe?

7. What does Ward want in his line of work, and how does he achieve it?

8. What does Charley decide to do when the pregnancy is terminated?

9. Why does Janey quit her job and look for new work?

10. What is Eleanor's relationship with her father?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

When Mac travels to Mexico, he does not go for physical reasons. Instead, he goes to stimulate his mind and to free his spirit. What is the significance of taking a spiritual journey versus just a physical one? How does this affect Mac in particular?

Part 1) What is the difference in the journeys of Mac versus that of Janey?

Part 2) Describe Mac's final experience and how it varies greatly from his first trip. What new friends has he made? What fears has he conquered? What relationships has he formed, and what relationships has he severed? Why?

Part 3) Of the five main characters, who gains the most knowledge and understanding from traveling? Why?

Essay Topic 3

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.

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