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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 ailment does Morris Calhenny suffer that only his slave, Beau, can help him overcome?

2. Why does this family turn on Counsel the very next morning, after offering him shelter and food the night before?

3. Why was a white woman hanged in Bristol in front of more than three hundred people?

4. How far from the Townsend Plantation does Fern live?

5. Who takes care of Moses after he is hobbled and has fallen into a depression so deep he refuses to eat or see anyone?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is pressuring Skiffington to find Caldonia's missing slaves and what temptation is adding to Skiffington's stress?

2. As Skiffington begins to investigate the disappearance of Moses' family and Alice, what does he begin to suspect?

3. Why does Counsel burn his own plantation house down in Chapter 7?

4. What disease does Saskia Wilhelm contract that she exposes all the people on Counsel's plantation to?

5. Why does Mildred not immediately report her husband missing when he does not return home from a business trip?

6. What injury results in the amputation of Jebediah's foot? How does Fern respond to this operation?

7. Why is Jebediah Dickinson arrested? What lie is revealed upon this arrest?

8. What does Caldonia buy for her slaves that she earlier rejected but now sees as an asset.

9. Who does Fern meet on the road as she returns home from consoling Caldonia over her loss for the past five weeks?

10. How does John Skiffington get killed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the underground railroad. What was the underground railroad? Who did it help? Was it dangerous? Who was in the most danger? What evidence of the railroad is found in this novel? Who was working the underground railroad in this novel? Why? Were these people caught? Why or why not? Who might these people have helped? What evidence is there?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Counsel Skiffington. Who is Counsel? What happens to Counsel's family? Where does Counsel go after this? Why? What happens to Counsel on his journey? What is unusual about these events? How does Counsel respond? Where does Counsel eventually settle? Why? How does Counsel perform at his new job? Is his reaction to pleas for help from the black community favorable? How does this reaction reflect Counsel's personal opinion of blacks? Why does Counsel kill his cousin?

Essay Topic 3

Who is Fern? Why does it never occur to Fern to pass as white? Why does Fern remain married to Ramsey? What kind of husband is Ramsey? What is Ramsey's favorite pastime? Does this make Ramsey a bad person? Is Ramsey bad to Fern? What does Fern learn from a slave about Ramsey's fidelity? How does this affect Fern's marriage? Why? How does Fern feel about being a slave owner? Why does she not feel shame at owning slaves? Should she?

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This section contains 975 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample