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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. What word from Chapter 3 refers to a ring or fastening of iron or wood used for securing the wrist, ankle, etc.?
2. What word from Chapter 3 refers to a gourd used for eating or drinking?
3. How is John attired when he first arrives at the plantation in Chapter 3?
4. What substance does Sarny treat the flowers with in Chapter 2?
5. Why does mammy say Sarny's birth mother was sold in Chapter 1?
Short Essay Questions
1. How is John's appearance described when he first arrives at the plantation in Chapter 3?
2. What work is Sarny doing on the plantation in the beginning of Chapter 2? How does she feel about this chore?
3. How does Mr. Waller behave toward John as he brings him into the plantation in Chapter 3?
4. How does Sarny describe Mammy's method of praying in Chapter 2? Why does Mammy pray this way?
5. What is the significance of John's scars when he first appears? Why do you think Waller chose John despite those scars?
6. 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?
7. How does the author illustrate Sarny's only encounter with money in Chapter 2?
8. What imagery and/or symbolism is used in describing the slaves on the plantation in Chapter 2?
9. Why were slaves forbidden education historically? How is this depicted in the novel?
10. How would you describe the narrator of the story? Is the narrator directly involved in the action of the narrative?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Discuss the meaning and the value of money as seen through Sarny’s eyes in Nightjohn. What does Sarny remark about the monetary value that her mother brought for Waller? How does this perception of people as having a monetary value impact Sarny’s view of the world around her? What negative impacts might this outlook cause in a person’s self worth?
Essay Topic 2
Describe and discuss the structure of the narrative plot of Nightjohn. Where in the text do the following occur: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement? How traditionally structured is the plot of the story?
Essay Topic 3
Analyze and discuss the character of John in the novel. What does John look like? How does Sarny describe John’s voice? What personality traits stand out in John upon his arrival at the plantation? How does John’s character evolve in the course of the story?
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This section contains 962 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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