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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. Who does Jed shoot with Richard Talbert's pistol in Play Five?

2. What secret does Jeremiah reveal at the end of Play Four, Ties That Bind?

3. What happens to Joe Talbert, Star's lover, at the end of Play Three, The Homecoming?

4. Who gives an inspirational speech when Talbert's army first heads off to battle?

5. What cities does J.T. claim to visit in Play Six?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Mother Jones in Play Seven?

2. What is the significance of Morning Star's statement in Play Two, The Courtship of Morning Star, that her baby is "born with teeth"?

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

4. What is the significance of the pock marks on Morning Star's skin in Play Two, The Courtship of Morning Star?

5. Which Talberts does Jed let live when his family attacks the Talbert homestead in Play Five, God's Great Supper?

6. Why does Joshua hesitate to sell his property in Play Nine and is this how he always feels or is it indicative of a change in his character?

7. What evidence in Play Eight indicates that Margaret Rowen is an alcoholic?

8. How is Ezekiel Rowen's nickname of Preacher ironic?

9. From where does Joshua get the Rowen gold watch in Play Nine, what does he do with it and what do his actions symbolize?

10. Is there any evidence in the text to suggest that the miners and Andrew know that Joshua Rowen is underage when he starts working at the mine in Scene Eight of Play Seven?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the characters of Michael Rowen, Patrick Rowen, and Joshua Rowen in The Kentucky Cycle. 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

Compare and contrast the characters of Morning Star, Sallie Biggs, and Mary Anne Rowen in The Kentucky Cycle. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

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