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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 is a "confab"?

2. Why was Isabel starting to favor the Patriot cause while working at the army camp?

3. Where did Isabel find Aberdeen while working at the army camp?

4. Where were Kate and Elspeth from?

5. In Chapter XXXIV, why did Curzon take Isabel for a walk?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Isabel do in preparation to leave the laundry in Williamsburg?

2. Why was Aberdeen curious about Isabel favoring the British?

3. How did Missus Serafina's advice help Isabel mend her relationship with Ruth?

4. What was Curzon's manner like when he encountered Isabel and Ruth at his company's camp?

5. Why were many of the men in Curzon's company from Rhode Island?

6. Why did Isabel tell Widow Hallahan that Ruth had been shoveling donkey dung?

7. Why did Isabel believe it was foolish for Curzon to support the Patriots?

8. Why did Isabel not tell Ruth the truth about Aberdeen?

9. Why did Mister Hallahan not pay Isabel for her work in the tavern?

10. Why was Isabel cheered by Kate and Elspeth's frustration at the extra work they had to do after the storm?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ashes is an example of historical fiction. What about Ashes makes it fit into this genre? What work did Anderson need to do in order to effectively write a historical fiction novel? You may use outside research to support your argument.

Essay Topic 2

Any novel set during a war is obviously rife with external conflict. But characters in Ashes all experience internal conflict as well. Choose three characters from Ashes and analyze one major internal conflict, as well as one major external conflict, that each one faces. Which conflict affects each character most?

Essay Topic 3

In the beginning of Ashes, Isabel claims that she wants to remain as far away from the war as possible. Eventually, though, she does choose a side. Write an essay analyzing the development of Isabel's perception of the Revolution and what caused her opinions to change on this topic.

(see the answer keys)

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