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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. Who offers snide comments about other writers and poets?

2. Who becomes sick and assisted by Ray with an insight he has while meditating?

3. About what mountains does Japhy begin to tell Ray stories?

4. Some of the partygoers decide to ________, which Ray finds amusing.

5. What is the name of the dog Ray and his brother-in-law fight about?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Rheinhold Cacoethes do during the going away party for Japhy?

2. Describe Rhoda's fiance as Ray sees him at their first meeting.

3. What does Japhy do with his girlfriend who tries to board the boat with him to Japan?

4. What does Ray refuse to do at a wild party at Sean and Christine's house?

5. What does Ray's brother-in-law think about his time in the woods and in the house?

6. What does Ray hear Japhy wants to do with his life at this time?

7. What does Japhy's father do when he arrives at the party for Japhy's going away?

8. For how long does Ray continue to meditate in the woods?

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

10. What do Ray and Japhy do to help out Sean as he is providing accommodations for the both of them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The spontaneous life of Ray is one that some readers admire and other readers abhor. The ability to move from one place to another, one idea to another is freeing and yet it creates the sensation of never being grounded.

Part 1: What are some examples of Ray's spontaneous way of life?

Part 2: How are Ray's beliefs also spontaneous? In what ways do his beliefs shift?

Part 3: Would you like to live the way Ray does? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Ray states that one of the most important traits one can have is to give to others, yet he does not always seem to be able to do this. Japhy, on the other hand, seems to be quite willing and able to give of himself.

Part 1: Why does Ray think charity is the most important virtues?

Part 2: In what ways does Ray bring charity into his own life?

Part 3: In what ways is Japhy able to bring charity into his life as well as into Ray's life?

Essay Topic 3

One might say the sexualized descriptions of the women in this story are an indication of Kerouac's own feelings about women and his own perceptions of women.

Part 1: Describe the female characters who are introduced in this novel.

Part 2: What are the motivations of these women, as one can tell from reading about their actions? What does this say about the author's feelings about women?

Part 3: Which female character is the most important to the story? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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