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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 kind of plantation does Edward own?

2. How does Martha pay for her travel to California?

3. Where does Nash Williams establish his settlement?

4. How does Edward feel at the end of "The Pagan Coast"?

5. What is the American Colonization Society?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Martha come to run a restaurant in Dodge City?

2. What did Edward dream that caused him much angst, and what does he interpret it as?

3. Describe the fight that Chester had with some fellow poker players.

4. Describe Cleo Hoffman.

5. Briefly describe the journey that Edward Williams takes to find Nash.

6. In "West," who finds Martha in Denver, and what does this person do for her?

7. Describe the relation between Madison Williams and Edward Williams.

8. What happens to Martha's boyfriend?

9. Where does Nash Williams settle in his second year in Africa in "The Pagan Coast"?

10. Describe Martha's friend, Lucy.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

All the stories that make up Crossing the River share common threads though they fall across different lands and times. Choose one theme that runs throughout all the stories, and describe how your chosen theme runs through each story. You must mention all four stories, describing how that theme runs through it. Make sure you use examples from the book to support your answer. Your answer should be at least four paragraphs (one paragraph for each story).

Essay Topic 2

In "The Pagan Coast," the American Colonization Society and most white men still consider themselves superior to Africans, whether they are educated or not. In "Somewhere in England," race issues are evident through the villagers' critiques. Compare the race relations in "The Pagan Coast," which takes place in the 1800s, and "Somewhere in England," which takes place in the World War II era. How are they similar and how are they different? Make sure you provide examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

"Crossing the River" is told solely from the perspective of a white captain taking part in slave trading. Imagine you are Captain Hamilton's wife, living in England and pretty much unaware of the reality of slavery as it does not touch her personally except through her husband's letters. What do you think of his profession from her perspective? What would you say to Hamilton when he complains of the ugliness of slavery and endorses the idea of "commercial detachment"?

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This section contains 876 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample