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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. Which of the following items was NOT regularly being eaten by pigs on Rawlings's farm?

2. Which of the following types of trees did NOT produce hammock soil on Rawlings's farm?

3. What did Rawlings use to signal to outsiders when her outhouse was in use?

4. Which of the following adjectives did Rawlings use to describe her plumbing system in Cross Creek?

5. How did Rawlings react to farming life soon after moving to Cross Creek?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Rawlings become involved in the Townsend children's education?

2. What parts of Cross Creek added to its beauty, as Rawlings recollected it in the opening chapter of the memoir?

3. Who were the Townsends, and what was Rawlings's relationship to them?

4. How did the Townsends entertain Rawlings at their pound party?

5. What health problem were the Townsend children suffering from when Mary arrived at their pound party?

6. Why did Mr. Swilley believe that Rawlings was in love with him, and why did Rawlings let him go from her service?

7. How did Rawlings acquire the antique bed in her house?

8. Why did Rawlings decide to build an indoor shower for herself?

9. What type of relationship did Rawlings have with the Mickens family while they were employed by her?

10. After she left Rawlings's home for the first time, what type of working relationship did Geechee have with the farm?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, Rawlings's closest ally on the farm was Black Martha. What role did Martha play on the farm? How did Martha's family treat Rawlings, who was essentially their boss? How did Rawlings's relationship with Martha change her as a person? What lessons did Rawlings learn from Martha? Do you think Martha was a positive or negative influence on Rawlings's life in Cross Creek?

Essay Topic 2

At the opening of the memoir, Rawlings is quick to point out all her personal flaws to the reader, particularly in regard to her skills at Cross Creek. First, explain how Rawlings came to live on Cross Creek. Was she prepared for this move to the farmland? How did Rawlings's personal history lead her to list all her personal flaws. In the end, do you think these personal flaws helped or hindered Rawlings during the time she lived on Cross Creek?

Essay Topic 3

Although Rawlings often claims to love her servants and to treat them with respect, she often speaks about them, and even to them, in a profoundly racist way. First, describe Rawlings's stance on racism in Cross Creek. What does she blame racism on? Then, describe at least two examples of times when Rawlings regarded her servants in a racist way. What was the reaction from the staff to this treatment? As a reader, what was your reaction to Rawlings's racist statements? Would you consider Rawlings to be a hypocrite?

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