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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 was Joyce Simdar sent to live with an aunt after her family's home burned down?

2. What word from Part 1: What Seasons They Have Been Through, Chapter 3 refers to an even balance or distribution of weight?

3. What word from the narrative refers to a boat race?

4. How far did Roger Morris walk to the University of Washington each day from his parents' home in Fremont?

5. What was the name of the shell that the freshman crew raced in Poughkeepsie in 1934?

Short Essay Questions

1. What frustrations did Coach Al Ulbrickson face as the crews prepared for Poughkeepsie in Part 3: The Parts That Really Matter, Chapter 9?

2. How does the author describe the physical toll of rowing in a two-thousand-meter regatta in Part 1: What Seasons They Have Been Through, Chapter 3?

3. How was Joe Rantz affected by the death of his mother when he was young?

4. What led up to Joe Rantz's abandonment by his father in Part 1: What Seasons They Have Been Through, Chapter 2?

5. How is George Pocock's childhood described in Part 1: What Seasons They Have Been Through, Chapter 3? How did Pocock become involved with boats?

6. How does the author describe the East-West Coast rivalry in crew and other competitive sports in Part 2: Resiliency, Chapter 7?

7. What irony and symbolism can be seen in the performance of the Washington crew as they prepared for Poughkeepsie in Part 2: Resiliency, Chapter 7?

8. How would you compare the actions, motivations, and characteristics of Joe Rantz and Thula Rantz?

9. What did Joe Rantz's father tell him when he abandoned Joe at the age of fourteen? How did Joe respond to these circumstances?

10. What is the focus of the narrative in Part 3: The Parts That Really Matter, Chapter 9? What function does this chapter serve in the plot?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does “the boat” mean to Joe Rantz? How has the narrative of The Boys in the Boat changed the way you define the meaning of “the boat” in competitive rowing? How did Joe Rantz’s perception of “the boat” evolve in the course of the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the spiritual aspects of rowing as illustrated in The Boys in the Boat. How does the element of synchronicity relate to the spiritual aspects of the sport? What spiritual transformation did Joe Rantz experience as a result of rowing?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the backdrop of the Great Depression in The Boys in the Boat. When did the Great Depression hit in America? What were the impacts of the Great Depression on Joe Rantz’s life? How did the Great Depression influence the perceptions of Americans during the 1936 Olympics?

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