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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 ultimately becomes of Ray, according to Jick, years later?

2. Jick's hay crew spends their final days where?

3. After leaving Alec and the ranch, Jick shares what thought with Ray?

4. How does Stanley suggest Jick could measure an inch?

5. When Mac was a teenager, what was his relationship with Stanley?

Short Essay Questions

1. While Jick helps Pete with his machine repairs at the beginning of Part 3, how does Pete respond when Jick asks him about Stanley?

2. After Mac requests fifty firefighters and a cook, what positions are assigned to Stanley and Jick?

3. When Jick sees Alec at the Double W Ranch, what are Alec's professional and personal circumstances?

4. Describe the decorating project Jick undertakes, to keep himself occupied in the heat of August.

5. What is the cause of the past rift between Stanley and Mac, as revealed near the end of Part 3?

6. Who are the members of Pete's hay crew at the beginning of the 1939 season, and what are their assigned duties?

7. How does Stanley convince Mac to give him a private audience, when Mac is trying to strategize with Paul and the fire foremen?

8. In the final scene of "English Creek," when Jick tells Stanley he's sorry about the way things went after the Phantom Woman fire, how does Stanley respond?

9. Describe the final moments of Mac's life.

10. When Jick and Lisabeth eat dinner alone, while Mac fights the forest fire, what news does Lisabeth share about Leona?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the tradition of Twain, Doig uses colorful turns of phrase and slang to imbue his characters with personality. Compare and contrast the speech patterns of several characters in "English Creek." Explain what the characters' speech patterns reveal about their past, education level, and/or personality.

Essay Topic 2

The fishing exploits of the McCaskill males are mentioned frequently in the novel. Discuss the poignancy and symbolism of Mac's death, when he is found with nine fish on his stringer and one on his hook.

Essay Topic 3

How does Doig use nature, particularly detailed narratives about the beauty of the Two Medicine National Forest in Montana, as a major presence in the novel, almost to the point where nature could be considered a character?

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This section contains 844 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample