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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. According to Rawlings, what color did the sky turn when a hurricane was close?

2. What type of animal was Racket?

3. Which bird was considered illegal to cook and eat in Cross Creek?

4. What did Rawlings hang in the orange groves to repel hawks?

5. Which of the following conditions did NOT strike Rawlings's house when she left Kate and Raymond in charge?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Martha and Rawlings define "varmint"?

2. How was Rawlings feeling about her life at the time when Dessie invited her on a river trip?

3. What weapons did Rawlings believe all African-American servants had over their employers?

4. What happened when Rawlings's car got stuck in the soft sand near her farm?

5. How did Rawlings and Dessie navigate the maze of tributaries that were not listed on Rawlings's river map?

6. How did Rawlings overcome her fear of snakes?

7. What trouble did Rawlings get into with her neighbors around Christmas in regard to her staff?

8. What type of snakes lived on Rawlings's property, and how did she feel about these different varieties?

9. What trouble did ants give Rawlings during planting season on the farm?

10. How were Dessie and Rawlings greeted by the locals, both black and white, in the coastal towns they visited?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the course of the memoir, Rawlings hired and fired many servants. Describe Rawlings's favorite servant. How did this servant compare to Rawlings's least favorite servant. What does Rawlings's treatment of her hired help tell the reader about her views of humanity in general?

Essay Topic 2

This memoir takes the reader through all four seasons in Cross Creek. Describe each of the four seasons on Rawlings's farm in Cross Creek. What work does Rawlings do on the farm during these seasons? Why do you think Rawlings chose to set up her memoir in the cycle of seasons? How does the cycle of seasons reflect or mirror Rawlings's emotions in the novel? How does the setup reflect Rawlings's views on time and life in general? Do you think this was an effective setup for the memoir?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout her time in Cross Creek, Rawlings performed many remodeling tasks to her residence, transforming it into a real home. Choose one of the major remodeling jobs Rawlings completed on her home and describe it. Who helped Rawlings with this task? Why did she want to complete it? Then, describe how Rawlings's desire to remodel her home mirrored her desire to remodel herself. How did Rawlings change emotionally as her residence became a home?

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