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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What word from Chapter 3 refers to a ring or fastening of iron or wood used for securing the wrist, ankle, etc.?
(a) Promontory.
(b) Chattel.
(c) Shackle.
(d) Vestibule.

2. What does John cover in his first "lesson" with Sarny in Chapter 3?
(a) The letter A.
(b) The question mark.
(c) The period.
(d) The number 1.

3. How much money does Mrs. Waller say that her husband just spent on a new hand in Chapter 2?
(a) Over $1,000.
(b) About $500.
(c) Under $100.
(d) About $10,000.

4. In Chapter 1, Sarny says that some believed she brought Nightjohn to the plantation by what manner?
(a) Begging the master.
(b) Train.
(c) Acting intelligent.
(d) Witchery.

5. By current estimates, approximately how many Africans were shipped across the Atlantic during the slave trade?
(a) 20 million.
(b) 7 million.
(c) 5 million.
(d) 12 million.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what century was the Atlantic slave established?

2. What kind of work does Sarny say she is not yet old enough to do on the plantation in Chapter 1?

3. How old was Sarny when her birth mother was sold?

4. Where has Sarny observed people reading prior to meeting John?

5. What kind of flowers is Sarny working on in the flower bed in the beginning of Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author illustrate Sarny's only encounter with money in Chapter 2?

2. How does Mr. Waller behave toward John as he brings him into the plantation in Chapter 3?

3. What is significant about the animal imagery that is seen in Chapter 3?

4. What was Mammy's response when she discovered Sarny copying the symbols from the grain sack into the dirt when she was a child? Why did she react in this manner?

5. What does Sarny overhear from the white house while she works in Chapter 2?

6. What does Sarny describe thinking about as the others sleep in the slave quarters at night in Chapter 1?

7. How does John behave toward the other slaves after his arrival in Chapter 3?

8. How would you describe the dialect and language style established in Chapter 1?

9. What job or jobs does Sarny do around the plantation in Chapter 1?

10. How is Sarny's birth and early childhood described in Chapter 1? Are Sarny's experiences common for slaves at this time?

(see the answer keys)

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