View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What type of animal will be hunted during the hunting expedition?

2. What event does McDonald say will change everything about the town of Butcher's Crossing soon?

3. Who rides beside Andrews throughout the hunting expedition?

4. Miller states that people with what jobs will come to collect the buffalo bones?

5. What had Andrews been doing back east before traveling to Butcher's Crossing?

Short Essay Questions

1. For what purpose does Andrews immediately seek McDonald when he reaches Butcher's Crossing?

2. What is the significance of the field of buffalo bones depicted in the narrative?

3. What is the author's reason for including McDonald's comment to Andrews that "Young folks…don't know what to do with themselves" (22)?

4. What does the hunting party's thirst symbolize?

5. What is the symbolism of the Smoky Hill trail?

6. What does the reader learn about the protagonist before even knowing his name?

7. What does Miller think is Schneider's real reason for wanting to deviate from the party's planned path to water?

8. What is the main hardship Andrews faces in the first days of the hunting expedition?

9. What is Andrews's true aim in coming to Butcher's Crossing?

10. How does the dream motif appear within the passages of Andrews's anticipation of the hunting expedition?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the author's message regarding the history of America in John Williams's novel Butcher's Crossing and what themes does the author employ in order to send these messages to the reader?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of John Williams's novel Butcher's Crossing and one of the novel's main messages. How does the author make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help the author get across one main message of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

What is the function of Francine's character within the novel? Discuss the characterization methods used by the author in depicting Francine and include in your discussion the reasons that the author portrays this character in these particular ways.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,137 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample