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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. About what is Bethia increasingly frustrated?

2. What does Caleb do for Solace?

3. Where had Bethia gone to do in the story she is telling?

4. What does the perfect day Bethia is experiencing fail to do?

5. What is a pawaaw?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Noah show Bethia the next morning and what is her reaction?

2. Where is Bethia sent and what are the aftereffects of her drinking out of the gourd?

3. What is Bethia's hope about the time Mayfield will use in converting the native Indians?

4. Why does Caleb say he and Bethia can no longer be friends?

5. Describe the effect of Bethia's father's preaching on the Wampanoag.

6. What frustrates Bethia about her life and choices available to her?

7. What does Bethia say about the influence of Cambridge on Caleb?

8. What does Bethia say about the situations in her family's life at this time?

9. How does Bethia come to believe she needs to watch her father preach?

10. What happens to Bethia's sister Solace?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The situation of Bethia agreeing to become an indentured servant is a narrative opportunity for the author to explore one of the work's key themes, the relationship between sin, redemption and rebirth. Bethia continually and repeatedly strives to redeem herself for what she sees as her sinful choices and feelings, but over the course of the narrative, seems less and less inclined to believe that what she actually has done is a sin.

1. Discuss the ways in which Bethia's belief about sin changes from when she is a girl to when she is an older woman. Use examples from your life and Caleb's Crossing to support your answer.

2. Do you think that Bethia's need to redeem herself is a pathological response induced by a harsh religion? Why or why not? Use examples from your life and Caleb's Crossing to support your answer.

3. How do you think changing her views on sin might change Bethia's life? Use examples from your life and Caleb's Crossing to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following:

1. Thoroughly analyze how the setting informs the plot in Caleb's Crossing.

2. Trace and analyze one major theme of Caleb's Crossing. How is the theme represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

3. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of Caleb's Crossing. How are the themes represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

Essay Topic 3

Caleb's Crossing belongs to the historical novel genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the historical novel genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a historical novel and a fantasy?

(see the answer keys)

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