View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Steinbeck, what do people living in a bland world crave?

2. What does a friend want Steinbeck to bring back from his trip?

3. To what does Steinbeck liken the group's verbal taunts?

4. What does Steinbeck admire most about Texans?

5. Who is Steinbeck drawn to at the rest stops?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain how the Badlands are a study in opposites.

2. What is the purpose of Steinbeck's stop in Texas?

3. What happens to Steinbeck in Minneapolis/St. Paul?

4. What does Steinbeck admire most about Texans?

5. Why is the rock with the mica in it so important to Steinbeck?

6. What is the irony of the situation Steinbeck encounters at the Canadian border?

7. What does Steinbeck learn about truckers when he takes breaks at roadside rest stops?

8. How does Steinbeck justify his opinion that the river crossing at Bismarck is the true demarcation between east and west?

9. What dashes Steinbeck's hopes for a good visit with his family?

10. Explain the irony in the scene where Steinbeck and Charley explore a sequoia grove.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Lonesome Harry. How does Steinbeck know Lonesome Harry without ever having met the man? Is Steinbeck envious of Lonesome Harry? Or does he feel pity for him? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Why do Steinbeck's friends caution him about being a celebrity on the road? Why is Steinbeck's answer so very "Steinbeck"? Explain the differences between being a celebrity today as opposed to 1960 when Steinbeck made this trip.

Essay Topic 3

Explain Steinbeck's interest in writer, Sinclair Lewis. What are Steinbeck's feelings about the people in Lewis' hometown who rejected him for writing the book Main Street, but now elevate his prior citizenship after Lewis is dead? Can you tell Steinbeck's feelings about hypocrisy? Could that be part of the reason Steinbeck does not stop to see Lewis' birthplace even though he is close? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 819 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample