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. Why do Harriet and her baby live with Gran?

2. What happy event occurs in Harriet's family?

3. Harriet seeks out her mother's friend, _______________, to talk to about her situation.

4. What do the slaves call a wedding ceremony?

5. Why does Gran throw Harriet out of her house?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Harriet's fate after the death of Margaret Horniblow?

2. What concern does Harriet express about John in a letter to her deceased father?

3. What makes life at the Norcom house a little easier to bear for Harriet?

4. What does Harriet hope that her mother's childhood relationship with Margaret will mean for Harriet herself?

5. What is found in Gran's house during the slave uprising, and when does the uprising calm down?

6. What does Harriet tell her deceased mother about Margaret Horniblow in her first letter?

7. Why does Harriet not talk to her Gran about Dr. Norcom's advances?

8. What impact does the slave uprising have on Edenton?

9. Which of Harriet's relatives are owned by Margaret's mother, Elizabeth, and what happens to them when Elizabeth dies?

10. Why is Harriet's second child christened in the white church instead of the black church?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the Fugitive Slave Laws passed in 1850. Why would people like Harriet have been frightened by the laws even though they were no longer living in the South?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the rampant racial bigotry in the South in the mid-19th century. What were some of the spoken and unspoken rules of behavior that people like Harriet and her family had to endure? How did bigotry ruin families and communities? What are some of the scars--physical and emotional--resulting from racial prejudice during this period?

Essay Topic 3

Racial prejudice takes on an almost human persona in this book. What were the sources of prejudice in the story? What is this literary technique called? Cite examples that support this position.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 756 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample