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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. After one of her servants leaves her on the road, what does Marguerite use to carry a small ham and some other small belongings?

2. What does the young Danzinger boy ask Alexander to do for him after it becomes evident the renegades are going to kill him?

3. What does Marguerite demand from the bank after she notices Silas's invoices were not filed correctly?

4. How old is the newspaper that Jesse reads to his men about the Gettysburg Address?

5. What does Jesse say that the "colored troops broke ranks" for when they see the man coming down the road in Part IV, Chapter 52?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Jesse's men react after he reads them the Gettysburg Address?

2. How does Catesby die after the battle in Spotsylvania?

3. What does Duncan tell Sallie happened when the Union and Confederate troops were camped very closely to each other in Part III, Chapter 39?

4. What happens to Jesse and the other black soldiers who are captured by the Confederates after a battle?

5. How does Jesse describe Abraham Lincoln after he sees him coming down the road in Part IV, Chapter 52?

6. How does Marguerite take control of the situation when Mingo leaves Kizzy pregnant and distraught on the road out of Wilmington?

7. What does the army recruiter say that convinces Jesse to join the Union army?

8. What does Silas tell his crew before he leaves to Richmond in Part IV, Chapter 57?

9. After being captured, why are the black soldiers pleading with the Confederates to be released?

10. After telling his wife, Leona, in a letter that he has become a Christian, what does Catesby urge his wife, Leona, to do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The book, "Jacob's Ladder: A Story of Virginia During the War", is set during the Civil War in the South. Several of the main characters are slaves, some characters are slave owners, and a few are even against slavery. Research and examine slavery before and during the Civil War. Where was slavery dominant in America? How were slaves treated? Was slavery the reason for the Civil War? How did slavery end? Did those for slavery accept the end of slavery right away?

Essay Topic 2

In "Jacob's Ladder", at some point each character deals with having to decide what is honorable. Explore the theme of honor in the novel and discuss how it relates to the different characters. How important is it for the characters not to lose their honor during war? Why is being honorable important? Is Alexander as honorable as Duncan is? Where in the text does Catesby show that he is honorable?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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