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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. Jim Casy says in Chapter 18, "I ain't tryin' to preach no sermon, but I never seen nobody that's busy as a prairie dog collectin' stuff that wasn't" what (207)?

2. What does Winfield say he hit a boy at the camp that day in Chapter 26?

3. The narrator states in Chapter 19, "And while the Californians wanted many things, accumulation, social success, amusement, luxury, and a curious banking security, the new barbarians wanted only two things..." (233). What were the two things that the Okies wanted?

4. What does Ma catch Rose of Sharon sucking on after dinner in Chapter 26?

5. In what type of housing unit do the Joads live while working cotton in Chapter 28?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the system of law and order developed among the migrant camps according to the narrator in Chapter 17?

2. How do the migrant societies entertain themselves, according to the narrator in Chapter 23?

3. What are Al's objectives at the Weedpatch camp's Saturday dance?

4. How do the farm owners benefit from the masses of the arriving Okies?

5. How is the plot of the law enforcement thwarted in Chapter 24?

6. What cruelty does the narrator describe in Chapter 25?

7. What does the committe discover before the Weedpatch dance in Chapter 24?

8. What are Rose of Sharon's hopes for the new land in California in Chapter 16?

9. What departures are seen in Chapter 18? Who continues west?

10. What leads to Jim's death and Tom's flight in Chapter 26?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the narrative style of The Grapes of Wrath. From what narrative point of view is the novel related? How does the author indicate shifts in this narrative perspective? How do you think the novel would differ if it were related in a different narrative style?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the themes of family and community in The Grapes of Wrath. What are the meanings and importance of family and community to the characters in the novel? What are the benefits of community? What are the drawbacks?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the character of Tom Joad in the novel. When and where is Tom introduced? What are his circumstances in the beginning of the novel? How do those circumstances change? How would you describe Tom's character arc?

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