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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 does Sarat hide her presence from the Northern soldier when she goes out to see what is happening?

2. What event caused the Northern soldiers to attack Camp Patience?

3. What piece of equipment had Simon sawed in half?

4. What happened to Eliza Polk's family?

5. What was one of the main causes for the start of the Second Civil War?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Sarat feel about Marcus and his father escaping to the North?

2. Explain why Sarat earns the nickname of Payday.

3. How did Sarat's name come to be?

4. Explain where the South gets most of its provisions.

5. What did Albert Gaines' father mean when he told his son to go into "blood work"?

6. Explain the narrator's vocation and how it affects his telling of the story.

7. Who was Gerry Tusk and how does he relate to the story?

8. What does Martina do to earn money at the refugee camp?

9. What is the first food that Albert Gaines gives to Sarat and why is that significant?

10. Discuss Sarat and Dana's relationship and the similarities and differences between the two girls.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the background of the author of American War. Give three ways that his background affected his writing style and his story-telling ability.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the character of Marcus Exum and his relationship to Sarat. Give at least four examples of how these two characters' lives are intertwined throughout the novel.

Essay Topic 3

What is the role of water in Sarat's lifetime? Give three examples of how water impacted her life.

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