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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. Who does Hamilton write to while he is on the ship?

2. How many living children does Joyce have by the end of "Somewhere in England"?

3. How does Joyce's mother treat Joyce?

4. What did the captain of the Fortune die of?

5. What happens to Joyce's second husband?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Captain Jackson.

2. What resulted from Joyce's relationship with Herbert, and how did she deal with it?

3. What is the state of Hamilton's cargo near the end of the log in "Crossing the River"?

4. Describe Mr. Ellis.

5. Describe Joyce's life in 1963.

6. What happened to James Hamilton's father?

7. Why doesn't Len get called up for the war?

8. Why is Len sent to prison?

9. What happens to Joyce and Travis's relationship?

10. What is the state of the supply of slaves when Hamilton is on the coast?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Crossing the River is a novel made up of four different, stand-alone stories, but they all have common themes and characters. What characters did you find to be most similar from different stories, and why? How are they similar? What themes do they reflect, and what influences their character? Does setting play a role in their shared themes or is it more of their similar circumstances? Remember to provide examples to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

In contrast to the other sections of Crossing the River, "Somewhere in England" portrays Joyce, a white character, who is victimized by her circumstances and loneliness, while Travis, the main black character, is the one who comforts her and shows worldliness that she craves. Analyze the similarities and differences between Joyce and Travis. How does each influence the other? Who plays the strong, protective role, and who plays the fragile one?

Essay Topic 3

Each character in "The Pagan Coast," such as the American Colonization Society and Madison, represents a perspective or theme of the time period. For example, Edward represents the white Christian's perspective of a person who owns slaves, yet pities them, so he tries to bring them up to his level by teaching them white civility. Explore two characters' perspectives or themes that they present in the story. Make sure your answer analyzes them in detail, providing evidence through the use of examples found in the story.

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This section contains 681 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample