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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. Who is the doctor that Cora sees when she first visits the new hospital in "South Carolina"?

2. Who is the teacher that teaches Cora and others to read and write in "South Carolina"?

3. Who answers the door to find Caesar when he visits the Hob to talk to Cora in "Georgia"?

4. On what road does Cora observe the hanging bodies of lynched escaped slaves in "North Carolina"?

5. For what family does Bessie work?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is revealed of Dr. Stevens's secret nighttime activities in "Stevens"?

2. What does Cora find when she arrives at the next station in "North Carolina"?

3. Who is Martin Wells and how is his character described?

4. What led to Cora becoming a "stray"? What does this term mean in the narrative?

5. Who is Bessie and how is she described in "South Carolina"?

6. How is the "Underground Railroad" itself presented in the novel?

7. How did Arnold Ridgeway come into his profession?

8. Discuss the narrative style of the novel. From what point of view is the narrative related? What effects does this narrative style have?

9. What happens to Lovey during the escape from the Randall plantation?

10. How does Cora come to feel about her mother as the novel progresses?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the portrayal of the Underground Railroad in the novel. Why do you think the author has chosen to present the Underground Railroad as a literal railroad? How does this presentation alter history? How is the railroad accessed by the escaping slaves?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss Cora as the protagonist of The Underground Railroad. What characteristics does Cora exhibit when her character is introduced? What makes Cora a "stray"? How does Cora's character develop over the course of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss and analyze the character of Arnold Ridgeway in The Underground Railroad. What led Ridgeway to become a patroller and slave-catcher? For how long has he done this work? Why is he called to the Randall plantation?

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