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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. Bryson decides he wants to travel after watching _________.

2. In Tennessee, what does Bryson observe about the weather?

3. When Bryson enters Mississippi, he suddenly begins musing on the ________ of the region.

4. According to Bryson's generalization, where will people from Des Moines work?

5. Why were Bryson's family vacations always so dingy?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Bryson draw ties to movies? How does this aid the narrative?

2. Do people ever get out of Des Moines, according to Bryson? Why or why not?

3. How does Bryson generalize towns from his youth?

4. What do Bryson's expectations in revisiting his grandparents' home say about him?

5. Why does Bryson like Charleston, SC?

6. What inspired Bryson's trip?

7. Why does Bryson like Tupelo?

8. What effect does Bryson's visit to Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum have on him?

9. How does Auburn, AL prompt more of Bryson's criticisms of youth?

10. Why does Bryson name the town "Dullard"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Bryson's journey is a personal one. Dissect claims Bryson makes about himself and others versus what his actions,etc. say is true.

Essay Topic 2

What initiated Bryson's urge to travel was his desire to "be somewhere." However, what inspired this trip was tied to the death of his father and his desire to revisit youth. Discuss Bryson's complex relationship with home.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss who Bryson's audience is: who is he writing for? What are subtleties in his writing that imply an aim at a certain audience? Who is he trying to appeal to and why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 807 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample