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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 is the name of Stanley's pack horse?

2. As the novel begins, who is expected to attend college in the fall?

3. Before the rodeo, how does Leona address Jick?

4. During the escalating fight after the dance, whose punch does Ray intercept?

5. During dinner with Pete, while Mac is away, Lisabeth avoids discussing what subject?

Short Essay Questions

1. During the square dance after the rodeo, how does Jick imagine his parents?

2. Why, in Part 1, does Jick describe his father as being "between and between and between?"

3. While Mac calls a square dance on the Fourth of July, who does Jick ask to dance and how does she respond?

4. As Jick finishes digging the new outhouse pit, why does Alec visit the McCaskill house?

5. Describe the special skills of Isodor.

6. How, at the end of Part 2, does Jick sum up his Fourth of July experiences?

7. Describe the condition of the Hebner place in 1939. Why is Jick's father depressed every time he sees it?

8. How is a counting vee used to count sheep?

9. Why is Flame Gulch the McCaskills' favorite spot in the Two Medicine National Forest?

10. After the rodeo, why is Jick unable to finish his conversation with Stanley?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the tradition of Twain, Doig uses colorful turns of phrase and slang to imbue his characters with personality. Compare and contrast the speech patterns of several characters in "English Creek." Explain what the characters' speech patterns reveal about their past, education level, and/or personality.

Essay Topic 2

What is the main theme of "English Creek?" Discuss the relevance of several plots and subplots to the main theme.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss several examples in which Jick feels blindsided, especially by Mac, only to realize later the joy of completion and accepting responsibility. How do these experience help Jick in his journey toward manhood?

(see the answer keys)

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