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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. Yarnell Poindexter is described as a freeborn black man from where?

2. Mattie says in Chapter 2, “I thought then and still think that Fort Smith ought to be in” what state, as opposed to Arkansas?

3. Mattie describes a noisy boy going through the crowd at the hanging and selling what?

4. How old is Mattie Ross when she leaves home to avenge her father’s murder in the novel?

5. What kind of gun does Mattie describe Tom Chaney carrying in Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mattie describe the setting of the hanging in Chapter 2?

2. How does Mattie describe the scene when she arrives at the Federal Courthouse to seek out Rooster Cogburn in Chapter 3? Who is being brought in?

3. How does Mattie Ross describe Tom Chaney in Chapter 1?

4. Who is the executioner in Chapter 2? How is this character described?

5. What does Mattie say in regards to the innocence or evil of animals in Chapter 3?

6. How does Mattie describe the career of Judge Isaac Parker in Chapter 3?

7. What is revealed of Rooster Cogburn during the trial in Chapter 3?

8. How do Mattie and Yarnell travel to Fort Smith in Chapter 2? How is the journey described?

9. How does Mattie describe Stonehill’s stock barn in Chapter 3?

10. What agreement do Mattie Ross and Colonel Stonehill reach regarding their settlement in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the Harrison Narcotics Law and the Volstead Act. Mattie Ross praises both of these laws in Chapter 4. When were they both enacted? What did the laws entail? What politicians does Mattie Ross discuss in regard to prohibition in Chapter 4? What role did these individuals play historically in prohibition?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. How old is Rooster? What does Mattie remark about Rooster’s eye? What personality traits does Rooster exhibit? How does Rooster stand out amongst the other characters in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the characters of U.S. marshals William Waters, L.T. Quinn, and Rooster Cogburn as described by the sheriff in Chapter 2. What makes Mattie Ross choose Rooster Cogburn based on the sheriff’s descriptions? Why does Mattie not choose the “law abiding” marshal? What qualities make her choose Rooster?

(see the answer keys)

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