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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. Why can Jacob not change his clothes the next morning?

2. Why does young Jacob meet with August in the beginning of Chapter 6?

3. What new animal does Uncle Al buy?

4. What does Jacob retrieve from the camel and zebra cars?

5. Why does a customer attack the sideshow barker?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Jacob become angry with Rosemary, one of his nurses at the assisted-living center?

2. What does the doctor prescribe for Jacob?

3. What is a cooch show?

4. What treat does Rosemary sneak onto Jacob's breakfast tray?

5. What does elderly Jacob spend his day doing?

6. What is Jacob's one joy in the center?

7. What is Jacob studying in school? What are his plans after he gets his degree?

8. What have Jacob's parents left to him?

9. Why does Jacob lose his appetite?

10. What does Marlena ask Jacob about her horse?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is jake? Why does Camel drink jake rather than good alcohol? How does the setting of the novel affect Camel's decision to drink jake? What is the ultimate result of Camel's decision to drink jake? Is this ailment Camel's fault as the doctor appears to believe? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Why does Jacob not talk about his time with the circus when he is old and living in the assisted-living center? Is Jacob ashamed of his past? What is Jacob attempting to hide? Why does Jacob finally tell his story to a stranger, but a stranger who lives with a circus? What is it about the man's job that makes Jacob trust him? What does this say about the culture of the traveling circus?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss independence as a theme of the novel. What is independence? How does Jacob feel his independence has been taken from him? Is Jacob right in thinking this? Should a man Jacob's age have more independence or less? Why? Should Jacob be allowed to care for himself and make his own choices? If not, who should have this responsibility? Why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 750 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample