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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. Why did Ruth slap Isabel?

2. How did Ruth greet the French soldier she recognized?

3. Why did Ebeneezer initially tell Isabel that he could not hire her and Ruth to work for his company?

4. What confused Isabel the morning that the army moved out of Williamsburg?

5. How did Curzon know Ebeneezer Woodruff?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Isabel mean when she said, "I am my own army" (126)?

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

3. Why did Isabel think that Ruth burned the free papers?

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

5. Why was the British soldier in the woods deserting his army?

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

7. Why did Ruth's worry about Aberdeen increase as time went on?

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

9. Why did Isabel think digging the trench was a bad idea?

10. How did Isabel's feelings towards Aberdeen change by the time she encountered him hiding in the bushes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Isabel often jumps to conclusions about what people are thinking based on their actions. Write an essay describing some situations in which she does this and explaining how it affects the way she interacts with her companions.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay explaining how descriptions of military tactics fit into Isabel's narrative in Ashes. Describe why Anderson chose to include these sometimes detailed descriptions and the importance they play in the novel.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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