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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 type of landscape do the prisoners live and work in?

2. How does the judge in the Armstid case treat Flem Snopes?

3. Which of the following articles of Mrs. Armstid's clothing is always described as "faded"?

4. In what state do the two convicts live?

5. Who or what does the tall convict blame for motivating him in crime?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Mrs. Armstid described when she enters the courtroom to plead her case to the judge?

2. How does Snopes treat Mrs. Armstid in court when she brings up a case against him?

3. How does the story of "The Old Man" open?

4. What happens when Mrs. Armsted arrives at Snopes' store to collect the money she is owed from the horse auction?

5. Where is the refugee woman's baby born?

6. What happens when the boat overturns that the tall and fat convicts are paddling down the river?

7. How do the Mississippi farmers plan to wrangle the horses after Hipps skips town?

8. What is Ratcliff's reaction to Hipps' arrival in Mississippi?

9. How does Hipps treat the wild horses that he brings in from Texas to sell in Mississippi?

10. What are Eck's expectations when he enters the court on the day of his trial?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, "The Old Man", Faulkner continues to hint at what he believes to be the dehumanization of men in prison. Choose two examples from the text that you believe best exemplify the dehumanization of prisoners. How does Faulkner use the examples of the two convicts as a way to explore this dehumanization? Finally, do you think Faulkner's message of dehumanization could effect change in current prisons today? Why or why not? Be sure to include at least two examples from the text that you believe help to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

In the story "The Old Man", the tall convict is faced with the idea of freedom for the first time in eight years during the flood. First, explain the tall convict's reaction to the idea of freedom. How does the convict's relationship to freedom and the outside, "normal" world fuel his actions throughout the story. How do these actions give the reader deeper insight into the tall convict's view of himself and of his crimes? Be sure to include at least two examples from the text that you believe help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

In the novels, "The Bear" and "The Old Man", Faulkner chooses to employ protagonists that are sparsely described, even ambiguous in character. Choose one of the ambiguously described characters from this collection and describe what the reader knows about the character from the text. Then, argue whether or not the vague description of the character is effective and why. What message do you think Faulkner is sending to the audience through his sparse use of detail? Be sure to include at least two examples from the text that you believe help strengthen your arguments.

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