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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. From what device do Sarny and the other slaves eat their meals at the plantation?
(a) From a trough.
(b) From a grill.
(c) From a long table.
(d) From a cauldron.

2. When Sarny overhears the mistress of the plantation in Chapter 2, the mistress is complaining that her husband spends too much money buying slaves. What is she concerned that she will not have enough money to purchase due to her husband's overspending?
(a) Dresses.
(b) A new house.
(c) Farm supplies.
(d) Livestock.

3. How does Sarny describe the financial circumstances of the master's family in Chapter 2?
(a) They are poor.
(b) They are struggling after the war.
(c) They have gone bankrupt.
(d) They are rich.

4. How does Sarny describe John's back when he arrives in Chapter 3?
(a) It is milky white.
(b) It is black and smooth.
(c) It is proud beneath his shirt.
(d) It is covered in scars.

5. What euphemism does Sarny use to describe menstruation in Chapter 1?
(a) Aunt Mary.
(b) The trouble.
(c) Womanhood.
(d) The spots.

Short Answer Questions

1. "Partus sequitur ventrem" was a legal doctrine adopted widely into the laws of slavery in the American colonies. What did this law dictate?

2. What term refers to the movement to end slavery?

3. What word used in Chapter 3 refers to the process of preparing corn for eating?

4. What does Sarny say that the slaves call the master and mistress when they are in the slave quarters and out of hearing in Chapter 2?

5. What historical figure "owned, raised, and subsequently used" the slave that the novel is dedicated to by the author?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of John's scars when he first appears? Why do you think Waller chose John despite those scars?

2. How does the author describe the regulations and rules regarding slaves and religion in Chapter 2?

3. How is Sarny's character introduced to the reader in Chapter 1? What does Sarny say brought Nightjohn to her?

4. What is significant about the animal imagery that is seen in Chapter 3?

5. How would you describe the dialect and language style established in Chapter 1?

6. When is the first time that Sarny describes hearing the word "free" in Chapter 2? What were her perceptions of this word?

7. How does Sarny describe Mammy's method of praying in Chapter 2? Why does Mammy pray this way?

8. How does Sarny describe the process of meals for the slaves at the plantation in Chapter 3?

9. How is Sarny's relationship with Mammy illustrated in Chapter 1? How does Mammy feel about the other children she cares for?

10. How does the author illustrate Sarny's only encounter with money in Chapter 2?

(see the answer keys)

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