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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 children does Martha have?

2. How does Edward get to Monrovia from Sierra Leone?

3. What is Martha's daughter's name?

4. What happens to Martha's family after the new owner takes control of the plantation?

5. What does Edward find out about Nash from Madison?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Edward Williams?

2. In "West," who finds Martha in Denver, and what does this person do for her?

3. How does Martha pay for her passage to California?

4. Do you think that the American Colonization Society sincerely believes in helping former slaves?

5. Where did Nash Williams first settle in Africa, and what did he do there?

6. What happens to most of the letters that Nash Williams writes to Edward Wiliams?

7. Describe the fight that Chester had with some fellow poker players.

8. Where does Nash Williams settle in his second year in Africa in "The Pagan Coast"?

9. How does Martha come to run a restaurant in Dodge City?

10. Describe Martha's friend, Lucy.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Crossing the River" is told solely from the perspective of a white captain taking part in slave trading. Imagine you are Captain Hamilton's wife, living in England and pretty much unaware of the reality of slavery as it does not touch her personally except through her husband's letters. What do you think of his profession from her perspective? What would you say to Hamilton when he complains of the ugliness of slavery and endorses the idea of "commercial detachment"?

Essay Topic 2

In "The Pagan Coast," setting is a prominent character in the same way that war is a prominent character in "Somewhere in England." How does setting play a role in "The Pagan Coast," and how does Liberia change in the eyes of the characters throughout the story? What did it represent in the beginning, and what did it represent in the end? How does war play a role in "Somewhere in England"? Describe how these unconventional characters (setting and war) play such significant roles in these stories? How do they influence their respective characters?

Essay Topic 3

As in all the other stories that make up Crossing the River, "West" contains characters that perceive themselves as good Christians but are misguided in their actions. Compare the misguided Christians from the story "West," with a character from any of the other stories that has the same characteristics. How do these characters differ? Do you find any of them sincere? Do you see any "commercial detachment" in any of the other stories? Give examples from the stories to support your answers.

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