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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. Where does young Jacob sit while eating his midday meal?

2. Who is Champlain?

3. What does Marguerite think of her reflection after having not seen herself for many months?

4. What is a bound-out girl?

5. What is a dory?

Short Essay Questions

1. Of what nationality is Marguerite Ledoux? Why do the Sargents call her Maggie?

2. What does Aunt Hespa tell Dolly and Marguerite to do with the baby to ensure she will not play in the open fire in the main room of the house?

3. Why does the Captain refuse to enter Penobscot Bay when they reach the mouth?

4. What causes some shock and fright as the Sargent family sets eyes on their new farm for the first time?

5. What does Abby Welles claim she would like to have when Ethan Jordan and Timothy Welles prepare to sail to Portsmouth on the Isabella B?

6. What reasons do the men give for stopping in Falmouth before the storm hits their ship?

7. Why do the Sargents decide to put the livestock in the water and allow them to swim to their new farm rather than transport them some other way?

8. Why do the children need to be cleaned up? Why do they protest?

9. What happens to the cow and her calf when they are put in the water to swim to shore? Who rescues them?

10. What luxuries does Marguerite find herself indulging in at Aunt Hespa's house shortly after rescuing the cow and calf?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do the Sargents stop in Falmouth after the storm? What do the children do when they leave the ship? What do they find? Who tells them about Indians? Why do these stories entertain the children but frighten the adults? What does Dolly Sargent think of these stories? How do these stories foreshadow trouble for the Sargent family? What do these stories say about the time period in which the novel is set? Do these stories follow what the reader should know about the history of this time period and this area of Maine? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Who is Ethan Jordan? Who has he been courting since before the arrival of the Sargents? How does the arrival of the Jordans change Ethan's romantic intentions? How does Ethan react to this change? What does this say about Ethan? About the time period in which the novel is set? Who is Seth Jordan? What warning does he give the Sargents upon their initial arrival in the channel? What does Seth think of their refusal to listen to his advice? What does Seth do to help or hinder the Sargents? Why does he do this?

Essay Topic 3

What is a corn shelling party? Why do the Jordans throw one? What do these parties centered around work say about the time period? What type of dance does Marguerite do after the shelling is done? Why do some of the neighbors find it shocking? Why does Aunt Hespa express the opinion that it was a nice dance? What does this dance say about the differences between Marguerite and the people to whom she is bound?

(see the answer keys)

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