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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. How many cattle in all does Gus count?

2. What does Jake think about doing with Lorena?

3. Who did Clara marry?

4. Who does Lorena reject after meeting Jake, starting the rumors that she is out of business?

5. How many stragglers does Newt ride past in the dust?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Elmira decide to do after the whiskey boat?

2. What does Gus notice about the first forty horses that makes him laugh?

3. Why is Gus not trying to hide the horses they brought back from Mexico?

4. What does Jake tell Call about he and Lorena tagging along the herd?

5. What bothers Newt most about the crew's negative remarks about Jake?

6. How does Gus teach the bartender to respect him and Call?

7. What does Wilbarger want from Call? What does he offer?

8. What upsets Call when Jake tells him his and Lorena's plans?

9. What bothers Call about the first four boys he hires, who are all younger than eighteen?

10. What happens to Lorena and Jake during the storm?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are many deaths along the way in the novel. Pick two deaths from the novel (Sean, Deets, Gus, Elmira, Jake, etc.) Compare and contrast the two deaths. What are the circumstances of each death? How are they similar? How are they different? How do the other characters mourn each death?

Essay Topic 2

Clara accuses Call of ruining his and Gus's life.

Part 1) Did Call ruin Gus's life? How or how not? Use examples from the novel to support your answer.

Part 2) Did Call ruin his own life? How or how not?

Part 3) Does Call ruin Clara's life? In what way? Does she blame Call for Gus's death?

Essay Topic 3

The relationship between Call and Newt lies at the core of a major theme of the novel. Write an essay detailing Call's feelings for Newt. In what ways does Call show he accepts that Newt is his son? Does he give Newt special treatment over the other cowboys? In what ways does he not accept that Newt is his son? Why does he refuse to claim Newt openly?

(see the answer keys)

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