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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. What does Kormentz give Journeyman in Chapter 50?

2. What remains in Journeyman's pocket in Chapter 34, not delivered to its intended recipient?

3. What book does Journeyman find Maddy reading in Chapter 31?

4. What is one thing Journeyman is an expert in, as explained in Chapter 44?

5. What troubles Augustus about the picnic in Chapter 57?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Journeyman tell Maddy in the section By the Time Maddy Went to Founder's Park that unsettles him?

2. Who does Journeyman try to convince to come to Quarry Island with him in Part IV, and what is this person's reaction to his entreaties?

3. What does Journeyman think about Todbaum when he sees him for the first time again in Part IV?

4. How is Todbaum's story about Pittsburgh a turning point for him and the people of Tinderwick who come to hear his stories?

5. What does Maddy do when she finally visits the Blue Streak in Founder's Park?

6. What is Nowlin's plan in Part IV?

7. In Part III, what does Journeyman propose to get to know the woman in the library better and what does he find out about her?

8. Why does Kormentz tell Journeyman to take all his writings with him in Part IV?

9. What are Maddy's plans for Eke and Walt that become clear in Part IV?

10. When did Journeyman first realize Maddy was a better swimmer than he was, and why does he think of that in Part IV?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing Lethem's treatment of the themes of aggression, bullying, and violence, especially as they relate to the relationship between the Cordon and the community of Tinderwick.

Essay Topic 2

What is Maddy's and Journeyman's nuclear family background, and how do you think their upbringing and their relationships with their parents affects the paths of their lives, especially following The Arrest? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 3

While Lethem never reveals Todbaum's purpose in bringing himself and the Blue Streak to Tinderwick, why do you think Todbaum decides to travel there at the time he does? What do you think Todbaum's and Journeyman's relationship will be like in the future as this novel ends, with Todbaum stranded on Quarry Island in the Blue Streak? Write an essay explaining your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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