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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. Which of the following did Isabel see on the milestone?

2. Who was Thomas Boon?

3. What caused Ruth's fever?

4. How did Isabel know that Ruth was afraid of Prentiss?

5. Why did Serafina have Ruth and Aberdeen hide in the hayloft with Isabel and Curzon?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Anderson begin each chapter in Ashes?

2. When Isabel arrived at Riverbend, what had changed about Ruth since the last time she saw her?

3. How did Anderson illustrate Ruth’s love of animals throughout their time at Riverbend?

4. Why did Aberdeen know Ruth better than Isabel did?

5. Why did Ruth call the donkey Thomas Boon?

6. What clues led Isabel to believe that Aberdeen was lying about his butcher shop job?

7. What did Isabel believe was the worst thing that slave owners did to slaves?

8. How did Curzon help ease tensions upon their arrival at Riverbend?

9. Isabel used a simile to describe her feelings when rejected by Ruth. What did she compare herself to?

10. What did Curzon mean when he said, "Lazarus is a lass" (81)?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout Ashes, Isabel's relationships with all of the other major characters change. Write an essay analyzing how changes in Isabel's relationship with Ruth cause changes in her relationships with other characters, like Curzon and Aberdeen.

Essay Topic 2

The resolution of Ashes is hopeful but still realistic. Write an essay that describes how the events in this last section of the book drive the plot towards a resolution of this nature, and theorize what messages Anderson hopes to send by ending the book in this way.

Essay Topic 3

In the scene in which Ruth reveals her fear of being abandoned by Isabel because of her being "stupid." Isabel tells Ruth that she is not stupid. Do you think Ruth is "stupid"? When answering this question, be sure to consider Ruth's strengths as well as her weaknesses.

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