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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. In what state is Ray's summer job as a fire lookout?

2. What is the last name of the character in the answer to #139?

3. What was the name of the truck driver Ray rode with all the way up to Crescent City because the driver said he was lonely and wanted the company?

4. To what city do Ray and Japhy go to visit for a day?

5. Who do the men around him tell stories of when they realize who Ray knows?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Ray and Japhy do when they begin to get bored of the party?

2. What does Ray do as he stays in the shack behind Sean and Christine's home?

3. What realization does Ray have that truly makes him feel free?

4. Where is Japhy living when Ray finally finds him along his journey?

5. How does Ray help his mother and her illness?

6. What does Ray realize about himself once he arrives at his summer job?

7. What is Japhy's reaction to Rhoda's fiance?

8. How does Ray get from Los Angeles to San Francisco as he searches for Japhy's shack?

9. As Japhy and Ray catch up a bit, what does Ray seem to feel about Japhy's demeanor?

10. What does a local confide to Ray when the two become drunk together?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Settling into one area seems to be something Ray is unable to do, preferring instead to travel from one location to the next as his moods dictate.

Part 1: What does the idea of always moving seem to say about Ray?

Part 2: Do you think Ray is truly a wanderer or someone who is always trying to run away from his life? Why?

Part 3: What does the wandering of Ray seem to say about the idea of being still? What does the author seem to be saying about staying in one place?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

In a sense, one could say that Japhy and Ray are 'fighting' a war against the traditional culture and the way 'normal' people live their lives.

Part 1: Describe the culture Japhy and Ray want to oppose in the way they live their lives.

Part 2: Why do Japhy and Ray oppose the way one particular class lives their lives?

Part 3: What do you think Japhy and Ray see as the best possible way of living one's life?

(see the answer keys)

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