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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 happens to Bob when he tries to kill himself?

2. To whom does the Pirate give his daily quarter?

3. Where does Dolores try to attract men?

4. For what reason does Dolores plan to invite the man in #76 to her home?

5. Tall Bob Smoke has the body of a _____________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the Pirate's daily ritual with his quarter and the canvas bag?

2. What happens when the paisanos sell the vacuum cleaner to Torrelli?

3. Why does the Pirate donate money to the church and what is the effect of this gesture on the other paisanos?

4. How do the paisanos help Teresina when the bean crop fails and she cannot feed her eight children?

5. Describe the Pirate's visit to Sunday mass.

6. What are the sleeping arrangements at Danny's house with all the paisanos at home?

7. Who is Tia Ignacia and with which one of the paisanos does she have a romantic interlude?

8. What gift does Danny buy for Sweets and how does he begin to feel about her?

9. How does Big Joe fall in love with Tia Ignacia?

10. What does Pirate do with his dogs after he is moved by the stories of St. Francis in church?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Steinbeck clearly likes to have fun with his readers. Name some examples of humor in this book. Which characters are especially prone to humorous behavior? Which are not? Why does Steinbeck use humor? Is he trying to balance somber stories or does he just find life to be funny most of the time, at least in this story?

Essay Topic 2

Tortilla Flat is populated with social outcasts and homeless people. What would become of these same people today? Re-write the characterizations and settings for the main characters. Explain the reasons for your changes.

Essay Topic 3

Steinbeck populates Tortilla Flat with several eccentric characters. Who are the eccentrics in the novel? What makes them eccentric? Do you have a favorite eccentric in the book? Why? What makes him/her so appealing to you?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,052 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample