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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the name of the Irishwoman that Per Hansa fetches to help Hans Olsa?

2. Where does Per Hansa go to sell the furs that he buys at the Indian settlement?

3. Why do the men think the Solum boys should teach school?

4. Who does Hans Olsa ask Per Hansa to bring to him before he dies?

5. In what years does the winter snow fall from mid-October to mid-April?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the significance of the title of the novel, Giants in the Earth. Who are the "giants" in the earth? What does this label designate? What is the title's relationship to the idea that the Hansa family is used as a means to tell a universal story?

Essay Topic 2

Moving out West and living on the prairie, there are bound to be interactions between Indians and settlers. At times, these can be negative interactions, but there are positive interactions. Do the settlers of Spring Creek have any interaction with the Indians in the novel? Describe these interactions. How do the settlers get along with the Indians? Do you think this was typical of the time? Provide examples of the interactions between settlers and Indians in the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the character of Per Hansa. Is he a sympathetic character? Why or why not? What are his major downfalls? Where does he succeed? How do the aspects of his character guide his actions in the book and ultimately decide his fate? Provide examples from the book.

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This section contains 291 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample