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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. What does the orchard keeper experience when he enters his house?

2. How much did John Wesley earn for the dead chickenhawk?

3. What is Sylder doing as he drives away from the crash?

4. Why is Sylder driving so fast?

5. Where do the policemen begin their investigation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the name of the town where Marion Sylder is from and in what year was he born?

2. Where does Sylder dispose of the body and whose presence is he unaware of?

3. What are the circumstances in which Sylder once again encounters the old man?

4. How does John Wesley happen to meet Sylder?

5. What is Kenneth Rattner doing as the novel begins?

6. Where does Kenneth get a ride to and what is his ultimate destination?

7. How does McCarthy set up the book's major irony in this chapter?

8. What happens to Sylder after the flat tire is fixed?

9. What is the most that John Wesley has ever caught in his traps?

10. What does the orchard keeper do when he returns to his house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Nature takes on an almost human persona in this story. What is this literary technique called? Cite examples that support this position.

Essay Topic 2

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of greed. Identify at least two examples about greed in the book. Then explain how each example supports the theme of greed.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses more than one theme in the novel. Identify at least two themes in the story and then cite an example to support each theme.

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