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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Sarny say the master did when Alice was unwilling in the breeding shed in Chapter 4?
(a) He shot her.
(b) He had her tied down and raped.
(c) He let her work in the fields.
(d) He sold her.

2. For how long does Sarny say that John is incapacitated after his punishment from Waller in the beginning of Chapter 6?
(a) 1 week.
(b) 1 night.
(c) 2 weeks.
(d) 3 nights.

3. How did Jim die after he attempted escape?
(a) He was shot.
(b) He was lynched.
(c) He was killed by Waller's dogs.
(d) He bled to death after castration.

4. What does John do on the first night after his punishment from Waller in Chapter 6?
(a) He talks to Sarny about leaving.
(b) He stares at the ceiling.
(c) He cries uncontrollably.
(d) He devises a plan for the slaves to revolt.

5. John tells Mammy in Chapter 6, "I don't get smarter. Just" what?
(a) Craftier.
(b) Older.
(c) Wiser.
(d) Poorer.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Mammy do when she first sees John teaching Sarny the letters of the alphabet in Chapter 4?

2. What name refers to a network of secret routes and safe houses used by slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada?

3. What does Mammy ask John when she sees him teaching Sarny in Chapter 6?

4. What does Mammy do after John explains the reasoning behind his motives in Chapter 4?

5. How long does Mammy suggest that John wait before running in order to heal in Chapter 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does John describe his plans for escape to Mammy and Sarny in Chapter 6?

2. How does Mammy respond when Sarny runs to her at the spring house in Chapter 5?

3. What instructions does Mammy give to Sarny while she's at the spring house in Chapter 5?

4. What element of the novel's plot structure is seen in Chapter 5?

5. How does Waller discover that Sarny is learning to read and write in Chapter 5? How does he react?

6. What does John teach Sarny in Chapter 6? How does Mammy respond when she observes this exchange?

7. What is the significance of Master Waller's public displays of punishment for the slaves in the novel?

8. How does Master Waller punish Mammy in Chapter 5? How do the other slaves respond to the abuse?

9. How does Sarny describe the first day of John's recovery in Chapter 6?

10. What is foreshadowed by Alice's treatment and abuse from Waller in Chapter 4?

(see the answer keys)

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