View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. If Patrick Rowen scratches his head before sending Zeke and Zach to the house during the court's visit, what are Zeke and Zach to do?

2. What does J.T. claim the letters in his name stand for?

3. In what does the narrator of the prologue in Play Six no longer believe ?

4. When Patrick Rowen and his father Michael argue in Play Three, The Homecoming, what does Star deliberately do to Michael in his bath?

5. What deal does Michael Rowen make with the Cherokee warriors Dragging Canoe and Taskwan in Play One, Masters of the Trade?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Michael Rowen claim his life is like prior to coming to Kentucky?

2. In Play Eight, in what ways does Scotty's experience in the Korean War seem to influence his opinions about the mining company and the union?

3. What does Cassius Biggs experience in France during World War One and how does it compare with what he experiences in the United States upon his return?

4. What is Jeremiah's motivation for wanting control of Patrick Rowen's land?

5. What solution does Abe suggest in Scene Three of Play Seven for reducing Joshua's fever and what does he suggest Mary Anne do to prevent further such fevers?

6. What does Michael Rowen mean when he tells Morning Star he learns early that blood is the "coin of the realm"?

7. Describe the mining incident with Mackie in Scene One of Play Seven.

8. Why does Tommy attack J.T. in Scene Three of Play Six and what is Mary Anne's response when he does?

9. At the beginning of Play Six, Tall Tales, why is Mary Anne Rowen reminiscing about how beautiful and colorful spring is in the Kentucky mountains?

10. Explain how Scene Three of Play Eight reflects the civil rights movement occurring in America during the mid-1950s when the play is set.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Trace Mary Anne Rowen's journey of transformation from downtrodden miner's wife to union activist and mythic figure. Is her role typical or atypical for women of her rural background in her era? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

What character flaws and strengths do you see in the Rowen family through the generations depicted in The Kentucky Cycle? Select at least three characters from the nine plays and discuss how these flaws and strengths help or hinder the characters in dealing with the conflicts in their relationships and in their historical eras. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Several murders occur in The Kentucky Cycle. Discuss Michael Rowen's murder of Sam, Patrick Rowen's murders of Michael Rowen and Joe Talbert, and Jed Rowen's murder of Richard Talbert. What motivates each of these killings and what theme(s) or lesson(s) do you think the author is trying to convey through these incidents? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,327 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample