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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. What does Gus bring back for Lorena?

2. Where does Gus want to be buried?

3. Why does Dan kill the farmers?

4. Who tells Newt and the boys to get drunk before seeing the prostitutes?

5. What does Gus tell Call about the cattle drive?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does July tell Peach is his letter to her?

2. Why does Newt decide not to shoot the Indians that approach him?

3. What makes Call mad in Ogallala?

4. What does July finally decide about Elmira?

5. What does July do at the bar Elmira used to work at?

6. Why does Clara want Call to change his mind about honoring Gus' request?

7. What happens to July near the Republican River?

8. Deets tells Gus and Call that the tracks leading away from the fight with Wilbarger include Jake's horse. What does Gus say?

9. What happens between Dish and Dixon?

10. What is one of the last things Gus does after Call arrives?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Call and Gus feel that they must hang Jake, even though he is their friend, because he is riding with murderers and horse thieves. Jake feels he is innocent because he has not killed anyone or personally taken horses. However, he does not put up a fight and dies an honorable death.

Part 1) Is Jake guilty as a murderer and horse thief? If not, what crime has he committed? Are his crimes worthy of hanging?

Part 2) How does Jake feel about his sentence? Use examples from the novel to support your answer.

Part 3) How does Call feel about hanging Jake? In what ways does he show he might regret it? How does Gus feel about hanging Jake? Does he have any regrets? How does he handle them? Are Gus and Call influenced by other events in the novel in carrying out Jake's sentence?

Essay Topic 2

Call and Gus have been friends for many years before the start of the novel. Write an essay about the relationship between Call and Gus. Why are they friends? How do they help each other or work as a team? Why does Gus ask Call to take his body to Texas? Why does Call agree?

Essay Topic 3

There are only a few women in the novel, as there were few women in the setting of the novel.

Part 1) What place do women have in the society of the novel? How do the men characters feel towards them? Use examples from the book.

Part 2) Pick one female character from the novel and discuss how she handles the circumstances of her life.

Part 3) Does the character you pick have a fulfilling, satisfying life? How or how not? Cite examples from the book to support your answer. What might your character do differently to improve her life?

(see the answer keys)

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