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. What has Johanna made for supper, when Captain Kidd brings Simon and his girlfriend Doris Dillon back to the wagon from Spanish Fort?

2. Where does Captain Kidd hide his .38 cartridges?

3. What does the other, “celestial” voice inside Captain Kidd answer, when he worries about the girl (74)?

4. What is on the other side of the River from Captain Kidd and Johanna as they are making their way to Spanish Fort?

5. What does Captain Kidd say would be the consequence if he read from Governor Davis’ state journal, as one audience member requests?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Almay and what proposition does he make to Captain Kidd?

2. How does Captain Kidd choose his news stories to manage the crowd?

3. Why is Johanna nervous when they encounter the army on the road in Chapter 5, and how does Captain Kidd take care of her?

4. What Jefferson Kidd’s experience at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend?

5. What is it that gets a reaction out of Johanna in Chapter 4?

6. How does the narrator characterize the political situation in Texas while Captain Kidd and Johanna are making their trip?

7. Why does Captain Kidd show Johanna the weapons he carries, and what is her response?

8. What was it that made Captain Kidd want to be a news reader?

9. Why does the narrator say that there is no Kiowa word for thank you?

10. How does Johanna fare once Captain Kidd starts teaching her English?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

For Captain Kidd, the frontier is the outer edge of civilization, but from San Antonio and Houston, the modern world was much closer by. What changes were taking place in the outer borders of Captain Kidd’s world, and how would those changes affect life in the towns and cities where News of the World takes place? What were the dominant tensions in that modern world, and how do you think the main characters would adapt to those new tensions?

Essay Topic 2

What is the role of women in News of the World? How is the difference between men’s worlds and women’s worlds described? How does that definition change according to geography or frontier? What kind of woman will Johanna grow up to be?

Essay Topic 3

Where do you see the story line of News of the World taking place in today’s culture? Are there parallels between Captain Kidd and Johanna and people today? What is the closest film or book or news story to the events represented here? How has the story changed? How has it remained the same?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,164 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample