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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 many people were originally in the grief stricken mother's family that Inman meets in the chapter, A Vow to Bear?

2. Why does Sara ask Inman to share her bed?

3. What memory of Ada does Inman share with Ada while they are alone in Ada's cabin?

4. What does Inman dream about in the chapter, A Vow to Bear?

5. What does Inman offer to do for a grief stricken mother in the chapter, A Vow to Bear?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who tells Ruby and Ada about the shooting of Pangle and Stobrod? How did this witness survive?

2. What does Inman do in exchange for a hot meal from a grief stricken mother?

3. Who attacks Sara's home while Inman is there?

4. What does Stobrod finally confess he wants from Ruby?

5. What does Stobrod tell Ruby and Ada to attempt to prove that he has changed?

6. Why are things awkward between Inman and Ada at first? How does this begin to change?

7. What does Inman find when he finally reaches Black Cove?

8. Who do Ruby, Ada, Stobrod, and Inman run into on their way to Black Cove?

9. What animal does Inman dream about and later feel responsible for killing?

10. Who or what does Ruby catch in her trap in the cornfield?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the Home Guard. What is the purpose of the Home Guard? Is Inman afraid of the Home Guard? Should Inman be afraid of the Home Guard? Why does Junior sell Inman to the Home Guard? What has Inman done to attract the attention of the Home Guard? What did Veasey do to deserve to be arrested by the Home Guard? Did the Home Guard have the right to shot their prisoners, including Veasey? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss morality. Veasey is a preacher, but he appears to have no morals when it comes to sex and women. Why does Veasey begin a relationship with Laura when he is engaged to another woman? Why does Veasey want to kill Laura? Why does Inman not allow this murder? Why does Veasey later get into a fight with a prostitute over money? What do these actions say about Veasey's morals?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss slavery. What is slavery? Was the Civil War about slavery? In what way? How is slavery represented in this novel? What do the main characters think of slavery? Did any of them own slaves? How did slavery affect their lives? How did the war affect their lives? How do the two things compare as far as their impact on the characters?

(see the answer keys)

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