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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 are Cooter and Elijah looking at in chapter 1 when the preacher comes upon them?

2. How does Elijah know in chapter 6 that Mr. Travis feels strongly about the subject for the day?

3. What kind of cookies does Elijah's mother tell him Mrs. Brown baked for him in chapter 1?

4. What does Elijah think smoking has done to Samuel's body as he watches him undress in chapter 9?

5. Why does Philip Wise tell the children that Frederick Douglass refuses to come back to Buxton in chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Samuel? How does Samuel perform for Elijah and the preacher?

2. What is meant by the expression familiarity breeds contempt?

3. What do Cooter and Elijah think Mr. Travis means by familiarity breeds contempt in chapter 6?

4. What is the basis of Madame Sabbar's act?

5. Why does Elijah divide his secret pond into two parts? What does he do there?

6. Who is Frederick Douglass?

7. To whom does the preacher introduce Elijah to? For what purpose?

8. What does Mr. Travis teach besides general education? Why does this bother Elijah?

9. What do Cooter and Elijah hide in the knitting belonging to Elijah's mother?

10. What does Elijah plan to do with fish he has caught? Who talks him out of four of his fish?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do many of the parents in Buxton not know how to read or write? What do they plan to do about it? Why do the children of Buxton attend school? What is significant about this accomplishment for these children? Does their education have special meaning for their parents? For what reason?

Essay Topic 2

Who is Elijah? What is the special distinction about his birth? Where does Elijah live? Why is he afraid of being thought of as fragile? Why does Elijah often cry in difficult situations? How does this make Elijah feel about himself? What did Elijah do as an infant that makes him feel as though he will always have it hanging over his head? Why is Elijah afraid of snakes? What does Elijah's mother do to help him get over this fear? How does Elijah feel about this?

Essay Topic 3

Who is Chloe? Where does Elijah meet her? Why can Elijah do nothing to help her? Why do the people in the little village not do anything to help Elijah save the people with Chloe? Why does Chloe give Elijah her baby and tell him how much she loves him? Why does Elijah decide to take the baby? What does he plan to do with the baby? What is the significance of the baby's name? What does this say about the overall moral of the book?

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