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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 does Jack's friend invite him after a meal in a restaurant in chapter 20?

2. Where does Jack hide Sunshine and their son as the cavalry approaches?

3. Why does Jack need lots of money?

4. What does Amelia try to steal from Jack in chapter 21?

5. What is buffaloing?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jack go about making money to support Amelia?

2. Why does Jack come to believe Caroline has gone insane?

3. What does Jack learn about Amelia moments before she marries a state senator's son? How does he react?

4. What is Jack's intention when he takes Amelia from the brothel?

5. What scam does Jack pull in order to afford to put Amelia into a good school?

6. Who is Wild Bill Hickok? Why is he afraid of being shot?

7. Who is Caroline fighting in the streets when Jack arrives in Cheyenne, Wyoming?

8. How does Jack finally become a scout? Who is he to report to?

9. What does the writer/editor say about his opinion of the truthfulness of Jack's story?

10. Who cares for Jack after he collapses in a snow bank?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is unique about the narration of this novel? Why does the fictional writer/editor feel the need to make comment about the narration before and after it is presented? Whose voice does most of the story appear in? Why? What is significant about this narration? Is the narrator a reliable narrator? Is the story true? How can the story be verified? Has it been?

Essay Topic 2

Who is Bill? Why does he appear to be unwashed? What does this signify? Why does Jack not tell Bill who he is? What is the significance of the snake heads in Bill's barrel of whiskey? Why does this nearly cause the men to kill Bill? Why does Jack do nothing to stop this situation? What does Bill represent in Jack's mind?

Essay Topic 3

Who is George Armstrong Custer? What is significant to the reader when Custer is first introduced to the plot? Was Custer a real person? How does the author's depiction of Custer fit with what the reader may already know about him? Why does Jack want to kill Custer? What does Jack blame Custer for? Why is Custer hunting the Indians? What will the eventual outcome of this hunt be? How does the reader know this? How does this foreshadow danger and add tension to the plot?

(see the answer keys)

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