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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 arrives in Redding on April 26, 1777?

2. What does Tim think has happened to his father?

3. What do Mrs. Meeker and Tim do after all the people have left the tavern?

4. What does Mrs. Meeker admit for the first time?

5. Why does Tim go to Sam's execution?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is an irony related to Sam's trial?

2. Why is this chapter so graphic in its description and abrupt end?

3. What impact has the war had on Mother as seen through Tim's eyes?

4. Explain why Tim feels trapped in an impossible situation.

5. What are Tim and Mother's attempts to free Sam from his imprisonment?

6. Explain Tim's philosophies on his country and the war that took so much from his family.

7. What is General Putnam's final decision regarding clemency for Sam?

8. What are the circumstances surrounding Tim's transition from a child to an adult?

9. What happens to Tim and Mother after the war is over?

10. How do the authors balance reality and fiction in this book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the personality similarities between Sam and Tim. How does each manage boy exhibit rebelliousness? Loyalty? Envy? Desire for glory?

Essay Topic 2

Why is Sam's sudden appearance at the Meeker Tavern so unsettling? Where is Sam supposed to be? How is he dressed? What is his demeanor?

Essay Topic 3

For much of the novel, Tim is torn between his loyalty to the family and his loyalty to his brother, Sam. Describe the turning point when Tim realizes on which side his loyalties lie.

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