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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. Which of the following is NOT one of the men who will travel to town in Book 1, Chapter 3?

2. What does Beret make for breakfast using the flour before Per goes to see the Hallings?

3. Which of the following does NOT describe the physical appearance of Per Hansa?

4. What does Per Hansa ask the Indians for?

5. What does Per Hansa bring back to camp in Book 1, Chapter 1 to appease his wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Per Hansa go to the Indian camp in Book 1, Chapter 3? What does he discover once he gets there?

2. What is the Hansa family doing as the novel opens? Why?

3. What is some of Beret's strange behavior that Per Hansa shares with the minister?

4. What is the story of the man and woman who come to Spring Creek with the woman tied up in the wagon?

5. What happens to the cows of the settlement toward the end of Book 1, Chapter 3? What is the reaction of the settlers?

6. What type of business does Per Hansa conduct regarding the furs from the Indians?

7. Describe the arrival of the minister and his physical appearance.

8. What do the settlers discuss changing their names to? What name does Per refuse and what name does he decide would be a good name for his family?

9. Why does Tonseten need to talk to the minister in private?

10. After the locusts first come and the men finish plowing the fields, Per goes to check on Beret to see how she has fared during the attack. What does he find when he returns home and how does he react?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Giants in the Earth is full of lush description and vivid imagery. Discuss this imagery, using several examples from the book. Where and how does the author use devices such as personification, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, etc.? How do they add to the novel? What impact do they have on the reader?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the hardships of pioneer life. What are the hardships faced by the pioneers in the first year? Do the hardships change in subsequent years? Or does the life get any easier? How do the pioneers note their progression or success in their settlements? Explain using examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Many of the settlers experience a fear of something so the theme of fear is a prevalent theme in the novel. Discuss the theme of fear. How is it present in the novel? What characters exhibit fear? What are the various fears that are expressed by the members of the settlement? How does the fear of the settlers affect them in the novel? Provide examples from the book.

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