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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. Where is the military institute located that Samuel Gatewood's son attends?

2. Why does the surgeon in Part III, Chapter 28, insist that all the Union soldiers be taken to another surgeon for the rest of the evening?

3. Whom does Uther Botkin's slave wish could help her with the planting, but can't because he is in jail?

4. What is Jesse doing that causes most men to fall ill or to move on to another job as quickly as possible?

5. What is the name of the family that Alexander works for food and stays with in Part III, Chapter 35?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Alexander during his first time in battle?

2. How does Opal help Uther Botkin with his daughter and his farm?

3. Why does one of the surgeons, James Lane, ask that all the Union soldiers be taken to another surgeon for the rest of the evening?

4. In Part III, Chapter 28, how does Maggie, now known as Marguerite, feel about her life with Silas?

5. While attending church, what does Opal beg Jack to do for her?

6. What does Ellam Omohundru do with Maggie in Part I, Chapter 10?

7. How much money is Silas going to sell Maggie for as incentive for Ellam to treat her with some respect until time for the sale?

8. What does the prison keeper tell Sallie about Alexander during one of her visits with Cousin Molly?

9. What incident does Miss Marguerite begin with when telling her story to the young woman in Part I, Chapter 1?

10. Why is the woman at the beginning of Part I, Chapter 1, traveling the countryside?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Alexander and Sallie are hastily married and they both have conflicting feelings about it. They are both important characters to the story. Examine Alexander and Sallie's relationship throughout the story. How did Alexander and Sallie meet? Is Sallie nervous about taking Alexander home to meet her family? Why? How does Alexander feel about being married compared to how Sallie feels? Why do Alexander and Sallie grow apart? Do they ever get a divorce?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout "Jacob's Ladder" there are families that grow, families that are torn apart, and families that stick together. Love is what binds these families together and the lack of love is often what tears them apart. Analyze the theme of family and love throughout the novel. How important is the theme of family in the novel? What examples from the book demonstrate how much Samuel's family means to him? What does family mean to Marguerite? Whom does she love?

Essay Topic 3

The resolution is of a series of events that follow the climax of the story, and therefore provides the conclusion of the story. Examine the resolution in "Jacob's Ladder", particularly how it pertains to all the different characters. Is the resolution in "Jacob's Ladder" satisfying? Should it have ended it differently? How does Jesse deal with never finding Marguerite? Compare the resolution in "Jacob's Ladder" to resolutions in other books the class has read.

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