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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. McDonald warns Andrews not to talk to hunters in town for what reason?

2. Miller states that the people who come to collect the buffalo bones will use the bones for what purpose?

3. What does Miller do to help the man traveling from Ohio to California?

4. How many buffalo does Miller say the pile of bones represents?

5. For what reason does Miller keep the hunting party on the trail, even though the land to the sides of the trail is more level?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is foreshadowing employed within the scene focusing on Charley's lost hand?

2. How does the theme of racism arise within the character of Miller?

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

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

5. What are Miller's reasons for choosing the destination he does for the buffalo hunting expedition?

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

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

8. How do Andrews's physical changes over the first few weeks of the expedition indicate psychological changes as well?

9. What is the first real danger faced by the buffalo hunting party at the center of the story?

10. What do Miller's comments about the dwindling number of buffalo show about his character?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's choice to tell the story of John Williams's novel Butcher's Crossing using the third person omniscient point-of-view. What elements of the novel's themes lend themselves to this choice and what is the author's intended effect on the reader?

Essay Topic 2

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 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)

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