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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 Ray find in the mountain's face and climbs into it?

2. How much were the flannel shirts Ray buys?

3. What does the waitress at the restaurant think the men are?

4. Ray finally realizes you can't _________ a mountain.

5. What do the police consider to be an arresting offense, according to the bum Ray meets?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Ray seem to believe about the ideas of Buddhism and Christianity?

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

3. What does Morley forget that makes him fall behind in the hiking, though Japhy and Ray continue on without him anyway?

4. List the four men who sit together at Japhy's small home, drinking wine together and discussing poetry.

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 the house where Ray Smith is staying.

8. What is the arrangement that Beaudry and Ray work out?

9. What does Ray notice about Los Angeles as he rides the bus to Riverside?

10. How do Japhy and Ray find Morley again?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Not surprisingly, one of the main themes in "The Dharma Bums" is the idea of non-conformity. This makes sense, given the time period in which Kerouac wrote.

Part 1: How is the theme of non-conformity expressed in this manuscript?

Part 2: Is there one person who seems to be more non-conformist than the rest? Why did you choose the person you did?

Part 3: If everyone is non-conformist, then can anyone truly be non-conformist? Isn't conforming to non-conformity problematic?

Essay Topic 2

The idea that you can't fall off a mountain is a glorious realization for Ray as he is climbing on the mountain with Japhy.

Part 1: Describe the moment when Ray finally understands the idea of not being able to fall off the mountain.

Part 2: What does this realization really mean to Ray?

Part 3: What does Japhy interpret this realization to mean?

Essay Topic 3

While the characters profess to have a strong believe in Buddhism and its tenets, there is still the underlying theme of superiority.

Part 1: In what ways do Ray and Japhy feel they are superior to others?

Part 2: Why doesn't this idea of being better than other become problematic to these two men? Or does it?

Part 3: Does it seem like these men are true followers of Buddhism when they talk about how other people are not living the 'right' way? Can one be Buddha-like when they are critical of others?

(see the answer keys)

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