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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. How much money is Will given to fight?

2. Who is Ed Mathews' father?

3. What does Abbie name her second child?

4. What does Abbie think about Grandma Deal?

5. What does Ed ask of Abbie in order to fulfill his promise?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the Deals' sixth crop in Nebraska?

2. Why does Will Deal go to war in Chapter 5?

3. What pet does Will Deal keep? Why must he get rid of it?

4. What do Will and Abbie do to build up their homestead in Chapter 11?

5. In Chapter 3, what does Abbie find in the forest, and what does she do there?

6. Who hears Abbie sing in the woods? What does this person promise her?

7. At the beginning of the story, where is Maggie Mackenzie moving her family?

8. What does Abbie's mother give her before Abbie's wedding?

9. How have the fortunes of the Mackenzie family changed over time?

10. How does the Deals' fifth crop turn out?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the dream versus reality motif in the novel. What does Abbie sacrifice her dreams for? Why might her dreams have been difficult for her to achieve? How does life get in the way of Abbie's dream?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the motif of survival in the novel. Why do Abbie and her family struggle to survive during their first few years in Nebraska? How do they handle this burden? Who helps them along the way? What character traits of Abbie's help her during this time?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the love triangle between Abbie, Will and Ed. What does Abbie feel for both of these men when she first gets to know them? How does Ed convince Abbie to accept his proposal? What does this tell the reader about his character? Why does Abbie choose to marry Will in the end? In your opinion, did she make the right choice? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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