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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. How did Cotton encourage the Bedwetters during their foot race?

2. What was the mood of the hunting party on the day of the slaughter?

3. What is the final chant of the Bedwetters at the close of the novel?

4. Why doesn't Cotton celebrate the buffaloes release?

5. Which of the Bedwetters thinks this thought: "Which were the shepherds, and which the sheep?"

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Teft end up at Box Canyon Boys' Camp?

2. What is Teft's criminal past?

3. What emotions do the Bedwetters exhibit in the final scene of the novel?

4. What happened to the Bedwetters' chamber pot at the end of the novel?

5. How do the Bedwetters react when they see the state agents coming toward them in the pickup trucks and Jeep?

6. Who climbs up on the catwalk at the buffalo reserve?

7. As the Bedwetters lead the buffalo to the final fence, what fear overtakes Cotton?

8. How has the herd of buffalo changed from night to morning?

9. How did the Bedwetters complete a "perfect raid" of the cabin trophies over the summer?

10. Who was the first person to kill a bull buffalo while the Bedwetters watched?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the opening of the novel, Glendon Swarthout leads with an epigraph of the nursery rhyme "Little Boy Blue". Why do you think Swarthout chose this nursery rhyme to open his novel? What symbolism can be found in these opening lines to the major themes of the novel? Finally, explain whether or not you believe this epigraph is appropriate for the novel, and why. Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

What does it mean to be a good team player? How is teamwork described in the novel? Do you think the Bedwetters make a good team? Why or why not? In what situations was teamwork vital to the success of the Bedwetters' quest? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

How does Swarthout use both the Bedwetters and the buffalo to represent the powerless in society? Based on these comparisons, what comments is Swarthout making about the way society treats the powerless? How is the annual buffalo hunt symbolic of the emotional turmoil the Bedwetters are experiencing? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

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