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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 did Moe Sykes do for a living?

2. How did Mr. Martin react when he heard Rawlings had shot his pig?

3. Which of the following medical conditions was Widow Slater suffering from?

4. Which of the following patches of land was described as feeling "enchanted"?

5. Which of the following adjectives did NOT describe the group Geechee was from?

Short Essay Questions

1. What type of relationship did Rawlings have with Leroy?

2. What types of physical maladies were the Slaters suffering from, and why weren't there maladies being treated?

3. What did Rawlings believe Martha would have become in life had she been born white?

4. What parts of Cross Creek added to its beauty, as Rawlings recollected it in the opening chapter of the memoir?

5. Who were the Townsends, and what was Rawlings's relationship to them?

6. Why did Mr. Swilley believe that Rawlings was in love with him, and why did Rawlings let him go from her service?

7. How did Rawlings come to shoot a pig in her garden?

8. Why did Rawlings decide to build an indoor shower for herself?

9. How did Rawlings come to live in Cross Creek?

10. Why did Rawlings return Georgia to her father?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How did Widow Slater's religious beliefs affect her daily life and the life of her children? How did Rawlings treat the Widow Slater and her family? How did Rawlings's treatment of the family compare to the way she represented the family in the text? What can the reader learn about Rawlings's own religious beliefs through witnessing her reaction to Widow Slater's?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the novel, Rawlings frequently brings up the idea of "racial memory." How does Rawlings define "racial memory"? How was racial memory significant in the particular era in which Rawlings lived in Cross Creek. Give at least two examples of moments from the memoir in which racial memory was significant. How did racial memory affect relationships in both of these scenes?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, Rawlings's closest ally on the farm was Black Martha. What role did Martha play on the farm? How did Martha's family treat Rawlings, who was essentially their boss? How did Rawlings's relationship with Martha change her as a person? What lessons did Rawlings learn from Martha? Do you think Martha was a positive or negative influence on Rawlings's life in Cross Creek?

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This section contains 950 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample