View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Cassady do when driving over the Blue Ridge Mountains?

2. What is the difference between the drug culture of the early '60s and the late '60s?

3. Why does Kesey want to document the road trip?

4. What happens after the bust on La Honda?

5. What does Wolfe compare Kesey and the Pranksters to?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do the Leary followers dislike the Pranksters?

2. Why does Kesey refuse to tell people that they should STOP taking LSD?

3. After Stark Naked goes mad and has to leave the group, the purpose of the trip and the documentary become clearer. What is that purpose?

4. How is Kesey's second novel, Sometimes a Great Nation, received? How does Kesey react to the reviews?

5. What do the Pranksters believe about people living the 'straight life?'

6. What is the final disappointment the Pranksters experience at Millbrook?

7. Describe the state of mind and general condition that leads Sandy to take the Unauthorized Acid:

8. What happens when Kesey and Kerouac meet?

9. Why does Hartweg have such a hard time understanding what the Pranksters have filmed?

10. Kesey moves his family and the Pranksters out to La Honda, California. Describe the new home.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Kesey moves his family and the Pranksters to La Honda, people he used to hang out with on Perry Lane complain that this is no longer the old group of friends, but it's increasingly Kesey's trip. What were they noticing that was so different about Kesey? What was Kesey doing that indicated he was going to be the leader from this point forward?

Essay Topic 2

Which group do you think was more serious about proving the legitimacy of LSD, the Pranksters or the Leary Group? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Do you think that Tom Wolfe did a good job in telling the story of Kesey and the Merry Pranksters? Did you feel that he captured the essence of these people accurately? Or was he handicapped by his lack of experience with LSD?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 852 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample