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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 place does Sarny describe in the end of Chapter 5?

2. How many more nights does John say until he's gone when Mammy catches him teaching Sarny a new letter in Chapter 6?

3. What is "the next letter" that John introduces to Sarny on the second night of his recovery in Chapter 6?

4. How did Jim die after he attempted escape?

5. What does Mammy do after John explains the reasoning behind his motives in Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Master Waller punish Mammy in Chapter 5? How do the other slaves respond to the abuse?

2. How does John describe his plans for escape to Mammy and Sarny in Chapter 6?

3. How is John's departure described in Chapter 6? What does Sarny make of John's farewell?

4. How does Sarny describe the circumstances of the slaves in the beginning of Chapter 5?

5. What are Sarny's perceptions of Alice's whipping when she witnesses it in Chapter 4?

6. How does Master Waller punish John after he has stepped forward in Chapter 5? How does John respond to his punishment?

7. How does Mammy respond when Sarny runs to her at the spring house in Chapter 5?

8. What happens after Alice's whipping in Chapter 4? How are Alice's wounds treated?

9. What is foreshadowed in Chapter 6? What does the reader expect to happen based on John's actions?

10. How does the relationship between Mammy and John change after John explains his past in Chapter 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is slave life described in the novel? List at least five ways in which Waller ensures that his slaves are stripped of their freedom. Which seems most invasive to you? Why? What freedom(s) would you most miss if you lost your freedoms today?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author’s dedication in the beginning of the novel and the lives of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson. What was Jefferson’s stance regarding slavery in the U.S.? Why did Gary Paulsen dedicate Nightjohn to the memory of Sally Hemings? Why is Sally Hemings significant in American history?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the narrative style of Nightjohn. Who is the narrator of the story? Is the narrator involved in the action of the narrative? In what tense is the narrative related? Why do you think that the author chose this narrative style? How would the story differ if it were told from a different point of view?

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