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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. Which university does Ray live near?

2. What does Ray find profound as he sits and contemplates the immensity of the mountains?

3. To what city does Ray buy a bus ticket after he sleeps in a ditch several miles outside of Los Angeles?

4. What is Ray concerned about as he and Japhy begin to go on a hike together?

5. What color of eyes does Princess have?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why doesn't Ray decide to camp in Mexico when he arrives?

2. How well prepared does Ray feel at the end of his shopping excursion with Japhy?

3. Describe the character of Henry Morley.

4. Describe the way Japhy decides to descend the mountain.

5. What do the bums of San Francisco tell Ray there is great money to be made in doing?

6. What are some of the ways Japhy shows he is generous?

7. Describe Princess as she is seen by Ray Smith when he arrives at Ray and Alvah's house.

8. What is the realization Ray has when he watches the way Japhy descends the mountain?

9. What is Cody concerned about when Ray arrives to say his goodbyes?

10. Where does Ray decide to sleep once he arrives at his mother's house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At times, Ray seems to be almost a student of Japhy's, listening to everything he says and watching everything Japhy does.

Part 1: What does Ray want to learn from Japhy at the beginning of the manuscript?

Part 2: Is Japhy comfortable with the role of being a teacher? Why or why not?

Part 3: What does Japhy have to learn from Ray, as the story progresses?

Essay Topic 2

The voice of the narrator is always a concern for a novel. Since the author's own life and opinions often influence the narration, the narrator's voice must be questioned.

Part 1: Who is the narrator of this novel?

Part 2: What does the narrator bring to the story and the telling of the story?

Part 3: How does this particular narrator affect the telling of the story? Is he/she a positive or negative influence on the story telling? Is he/she they trustworthy?

Essay Topic 3

The characters of Ray and Japhys could not be more alike or more different from each others, creating an interesting interplay in the story itself.

Part 1: Describe the character of Ray as he is portrayed in the story.

Part 2: Describe the character of Japhys as he is portrayed in the story.

Part 3: Which character seems to have nobler intentions, as Buddhism warrants? Why did you choose the character you did?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 650 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample