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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. How many police officers is Ownby accused of shooting?

2. Which policeman has threatened John Wesley?

3. How could John Wesley be charged with aiding a criminal?

4. Why do Gifford and some other policemen arrive at Ownby's house?

5. How much prison time does Sylder get for running whiskey?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the dead cat symbolic of Kenneth Rattner?

2. Why does Gifford focus his question about Ownby on a storekeep named Huffaker?

3. How else might the irony of Sylder and John Wesley's friendship be interpreted?

4. Why is Sylder's toe injury probably unrelated to a war injury?

5. What does the orchard keeper do on a snowy morning involving the peach pit?

6. Describe Sylder's booking in the police department.

7. How does Sylder recall losing part of his toe in the war?

8. How does John Wesley manage to get into the mental asylum to visit Ownby?

9. Does it appear that Arthur is completely anti-social?

10. What is the significance of cats in the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Create a brief character study of Kenneth Rattner. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him at this point?

Essay Topic 3

McCarthy waits until almost the end of the novel to reveal the name of the orchard keeper. Why does he wait until this point? What does it mean when the reader finally knows the true identity of the orchard keeper? What is happening in the orchard keeper's life that erases any more secrecy about the old man? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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