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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. Why does Cornish McManus decide to sell his "sweet" rifle?

2. What material does Cornish McManus use to build the butt plate, the patch box, the keys, and the cap of this "sweet" rifle?

3. Who built the rifle discussed in the novel?

4. After Cornish McManus sells his "sweet" rifle to John Byam, what happens to him [McManus]?

5. What is the final operation in the construction of Cornish McManus' "sweet" rifle?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does John Byam offer so much wealth in exchange for Cornish McManus' "sweet" rifle?

2. Does the "sweet" rifle have a will of its own?

3. Describe how the British are presented in the novel.

4. Do you think that John Byam "got his money's worth" out of the "sweet" rifle?

5. What was John Byam called in his day as a soldier? What would he be called today?

6. What was the leading cause of death among American Revolutionary War soldiers?

7. Why does Cornish McManus decide to sell the "sweet" rifle, one of his most-cherished possessions?

8. Describe the initial organization of McRary's Rangers.

9. In order to fire properly, the following things must be true: "the powder is dry and in good shape" (p. 16); "the flint is clean and with a new sharp edge" (p. 16); "the frizzen is wiped dry" (p. 16); "the spring on the hammer is strong" (p. 16); "the flint [slams] hard against the frizzen" (p. 16); "the powder is positioned correctly in the pan" (p. 17). Explain how all of these things happen to occur on Christmas Eve, 1993.

10. The last time he loaded his rifle, John Byam used an extraordinary amount of care during the process. Do you think he always was so careful when loading?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role of the characterization of Tim Harrow in the novel. Why is Tim even characterized? Why is he characterized as a fringe "crazy"? What role does the character play in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the early life and the family life of Richard Allen Mesinger. Why is it important within the narrative that Mesinger is a likable and typical teenager?

Essay Topic 3

Of the major characters in the novel (Cornish McManus, John Byam, Tim Harrow, Harv Kline, and Richard Allen Mesinger), are any of them villains? If not, why not. If so, who is a villain and why do you consider them to be a villain?

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