View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What historical figure "owned, raised, and subsequently used" the slave that the novel is dedicated to by the author?
(a) Robert E. Lee.
(b) Benjamin Franklin.
(c) Thomas Jefferson.
(d) Theodore Roosevelt.

2. How does Sarny describe John's back when he arrives in Chapter 3?
(a) It is black and smooth.
(b) It is milky white.
(c) It is proud beneath his shirt.
(d) It is covered in scars.

3. Sarny says of Mammy in Chapter 2, "She swore they could hear like cats up to the big house..." What literary device is used in this example?
(a) Allusion.
(b) Onomatopoeia.
(c) Alliteration.
(d) Simile.

4. What kind of flowers is Sarny working on in the flower bed in the beginning of Chapter 2?
(a) Daffodils.
(b) Pansies.
(c) Crocuses.
(d) Roses.

5. What European country was the first to engage in the New World slave trade?
(a) France.
(b) Spain.
(c) Great Britain.
(d) Portugal.

Short Answer Questions

1. What kind of coin does Sarny describe finding in the dirt in Chapter 2?

2. What does Sarny remark about her birth in Chapter 1?

3. How is John attired when he first arrives at the plantation in Chapter 3?

4. How does Sarny describe Mrs. Waller's sister in Chapter 2?

5. How does Sarny describe the financial circumstances of the master's family in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. When is the first time that Sarny describes hearing the word "free" in Chapter 2? What were her perceptions of this word?

2. What does Mammy measure on the sticks that she keeps for each child on the plantation? Why?

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

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. How does Sarny describe the process of meals for the slaves at the plantation in Chapter 3?

7. How would you describe the narrator of the story? Is the narrator directly involved in the action of the narrative?

8. How does Sarny describe Mammy's method of praying in Chapter 2? Why does Mammy pray this way?

9. How does the author describe the regulations and rules regarding slaves and religion in Chapter 2?

10. What is the significance of John's scars when he first appears? Why do you think Waller chose John despite those scars?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 991 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample