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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. To whom does Catesby want Samuel Gatewood to write a letter?

2. In the letter that he writes from camp, where does Catesby urge his wife to stay?

3. Miss Marguerite begins telling the traveling young woman in Part I, Chapter 1 a story. When does the story take place?

4. What is the name of the family that Alexander works for food and stays with in Part III, Chapter 35?

5. Two years after the big storm, what is Samuel's son guarding in Part I, Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the woman at the beginning of Part I, Chapter 1, traveling the countryside?

2. Why does Jesse keep trying to run away from the Stratford Plantation?

3. How much money is Silas going to sell Maggie for as incentive for Ellam to treat her with some respect until time for the sale?

4. What happens to Duncan's horse, Gypsy, during the battle in Chancellorsville?

5. What does a superior officer say to Duncan and his fellow cadets after they rush to get their weapons and regain their honor when the Union cadets pick a fight with them?

6. What happens at the military institute, where Duncan is present to hear a speech, which causes a fight?

7. Why is Alexander called into the office of the acting keeping at the penitentiary in Part II, Chapter 18?

8. What does the prison keeper tell Sallie about Alexander during one of her visits with Cousin Molly?

9. What does Silas do to Ellam when he learns of his treatment of Maggie?

10. While Sallie is working at the hospital, what does a young soldier ask Sallie to do for him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Alexander and Sallie are hastily married and they both have conflicting feelings about it. They are both important characters to the story. Examine Alexander and Sallie's relationship throughout the story. How did Alexander and Sallie meet? Is Sallie nervous about taking Alexander home to meet her family? Why? How does Alexander feel about being married compared to how Sallie feels? Why do Alexander and Sallie grow apart? Do they ever get a divorce?

Essay Topic 2

The war has caused tremendous changes not only in the characters but also in society. Each character deals with these changes in a different way. Analyze the theme of change in the novel, particularly how it pertains to society. How have these changes affected the characters? What changes have been for the better? What changes have been for the worse? Does something as catastrophic as war need to happen to bring about great change?

Essay Topic 3

Description is the fiction-writing mode for creating a mental image of a story. Examine the use of description in "Jacob's Ladder: A Story of Virginia During the War". How does the author graphically describe life in Virginia during slavery and the Civil War? How are the characters described? How does the author use dialogue, imagery, and even sentence structure to help describe?

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