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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. Who dies at Clara's ranch?

2. What gets stolen from the ranch?

3. What does the Suggs brothers gang do to the farmer they meet?

4. What does Gus want to give to Lorena after he dies?

5. Where does July go when he gets another horse?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Elmira when she sees Dee?

2. What does Clara tell July about Elmira?

3. What happens between Dish and Dixon?

4. How does Lorena feel when she hears about Jake's hanging?

5. Why does Clara get so mad at July?

6. Why does Newt decide not to shoot the Indians that approach him?

7. Deets tells Gus and Call that the tracks leading away from the fight with Wilbarger include Jake's horse. What does Gus say?

8. What does Deets find on the Arkansas River?

9. Why does July feel guilty?

10. What does Clara suggest to Lorena?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel includes both lawmen and outlaws throughout the story. The lawmen like Call, Gus, and July try their best to uphold and enforce the law. The outlaws like Blue Duck and Dan Suggs spend their time breaking the law.

Part 1) Pick one lawman and one outlaw and compare and contrast them. What characteristics do they have in common? In what ways are they different?

Part 2) How do the two characters you selected act as if they are above the law, or that laws do not apply to them? Cite examples from the novel.

Part 3) In what ways are the two characters not above the law? Pick events from the story that show how the characters apply the law to themselves.

Essay Topic 2

Blue Duck and Dan Suggs are both outlaws with formidable reputations. Compare and contrast Blue Duck and Dan Suggs. How are they similar? How are they different? How does each character affect the plot? Does each character get punishment in line with his crimes?

Essay Topic 3

Gus thinks about the chain of events that Jake sets into motion by not facing the consequences of his accidental shooting in Arkansas. Pick three or four events from the novel. How are these events based on accident or circumstance? How might things have turned out differently if the events you chose did not happen, or happened differently? How are these accidents related to choices made by one or more characters? Use examples from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 837 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample