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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 does the convict want to take aboard the gruff man's boat that is not allowed?

2. Who does Ratcliff claim was the rightful owner of all the wild horses before the stampede?

3. Who was the fat convict most concerned with avoiding during his trial period?

4. Who, of all the farmers, is the only person to question whether or not Hipps is running a scam?

5. What type of landscape do the prisoners live and work in?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the tall convict react to the army camp the prisoners are resettled to during the flood?

2. How many people in the prison know the true crime that the fat convict committed?

3. Toward the end of the trip on the steamboat, how does the Red Cross doctor treat the convict?

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

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

6. Why is Tull outraged with the decision about his case in the courtroom?

7. What interaction does the convict have with the first boat of survivors from the flood?

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

9. In addition to the case brought up against Snopes, what other charges were pressed in the Mississippi town after the wild horse stampede?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

When Hipps comes to town with the spotted horses in the story of the same name, the one heckler he meets in the crowd in a man called Ratcliff. First, describe Ratcliff's character. What motivation does Ratcliff have to heckle Hipps when he comes to town? Then, describe what has happened in Ratcliff's history that made the Texan people not take his critique of Hipps seriously. Do you think the townsfolk should have listened to Ratcliff? Why or why not? Be sure to include at least two examples from the text to strengthen your argument.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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