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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. What does Philomene feel as she makes a realization about Clement in Chapter 16?

2. What are Joesph's cousins' response to the prospect of Emily living with Joseph as a lover?

3. What is Valery Houbre's occupation?

4. What does Philomene think a jealous God might do?

5. Why doesn't Narcisse join the regular army?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 31, what does Joseph request from Philomene concerning Emily?

2. How does Philomene feel about the lives of her family?

3. Why does Philomene send Bet to Joseph's store where Emily is working?

4. Describe Elisabeth's encounter with a census taker.

5. What does Philomene ask Narcisse to do concerning Emily?

6. In Chapter 19, what does Elisabeth say about Philomene's visions, and how does Philomene plan to use them on Narcisse?

7. What do the Union armies start doing, and what is Philomene's response?

8. What does Angelite say about a young man who is interested in marrying her?

9. What does Narcisse say he worries about concerning Emily?

10. What is the argument between Oreline and Philomene about who owes whom in Chapter 24?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Suzette says that there's nothing a black woman can do except capitulate and will eventually come to compare her forced sexual encounters with Eugene with cleaning the outhouse - a horrible task that has to be completed in order to move on to the next task.

Discuss the problems the children of black slaves and white owners face that might be different from a black slave born of two slaves. Use examples from Cane River to support your response.

Essay Topic 2

Foreshadowing is used in almost all works of fiction. Discuss the following:

What is foreshadowing? Identify three instances of foreshadowing in Cane River and what they foreshadow. How does foreshadowing contribute to a book's suspense? Are there any incidences that you thought foreshadows a future event, but it does not do so?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the following:

Define plot and include the definitions of the most important elements of a plot. Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not? Write a brief synopsis of the plot of Cane River, identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot? Give a brief synopsis of any important sub-plots.

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