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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. Huffaker tells Gifford that Ownby comes to the store __________________.

2. What is the name of Ownby's dog?

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

4. How did Sylder lose part of his toe?

5. What do the two men do with Ownby after they pick him up?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Sylder stop at Officer Gifford's house on the way home from a whiskey run?

2. Why can the authorities not be absolutely certain that the corpse is that of Kenneth Rattner and what do they tell Rattner's widow?

3. Why does McCarthy wait until this point in the story to reveal the orchard keeper's name?

4. How does Arthur stand firm in an attempt to evade the police and find an even more isolated location?

5. What emotions does the orchard keeper have when he finds the peach pit smoldering?

6. What are John Wesley and Warn's speculation on what had happened to the mink?

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

8. Why does McCarthy wait until this point in the story to reveal the orchard keeper's formal name?

9. What happens to the Rattners by the end of the story?

10. How is Sylder finally apprehended for bootlegging?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the concept of loneliness as it exhibits in the story. Which of the characters are lonely? Are they all lonely in some way? Explain the loneliness and the methods and attempts to overcome it.

Essay Topic 2

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of loss. Identify at least two examples about loss in the book and then explain why the examples support the theme.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the overall setting for the novel. Why does McCarthy use the setting he does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

(see the answer keys)

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