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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. After leaving the city, what direction do the father and son head?

2. In Chapter 11, what do the father and son do before returning to the woods?

3. What does the father claim about his memory from his childhood?

4. Upon reaching the road, what does the father say about States?

5. After leaving the supermarket, how does the son feel about following the father into the house?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe what the father makes for their feet in Chapter 20.

2. Give an example from Chapter 11 where the father demonstrates his love for his son.

3. Explain how the father demonstrates perseverance in Chapters 16 through 20.

4. Recall examples from Chapters 1-5 that demonstrate how the father tries to protect the son, and how the son tries to protect the father.

5. Describe two things that the father and son see along their journey in Chapters 16 through 20.

6. At the beginning of Chapter 11, describe where the father and son bathe and what they eat for dinner.

7. Give one example from Chapter 5 that demonstrates how the father is not functioning well psychologically.

8. Give an example of a game that the father and son play together.

9. Analyze the son's dream about the toy penguin.

10. Describe the father's belief in God.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The father always puts the son's needs before his own, as he wants so desperately for his son to have a better life. Examine the theme of love in the The Road.

Part 1) What does having unconditional love mean?

Part 2) How does his love for his son cause him to make rash decisions?

Part 3) Compare the father's love for his son to the son's love for his father.

Essay Topic 2

The setting in The Road is vital to the whole tone of the story. Analyze the use of setting in The Road.

Part 1) How did Cormac McCarthy describe his setting?

Part 2) How is the setting almost considered a character in the story?

Part 3) Compare the setting of this novel to another novel -- was the setting simple or complex?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the theme of overprotection in the book and how it pertains to the father and son's relationship. Is the father's overprotection justified or needless?

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