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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 does Waller punish Mammy after the slaves return from the fields in Chapter 5?

2. What is the name of the field hand who assists in holding down John for his punishment in Chapter 5?

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

4. Who were the people that captured John after he'd fled?

5. What quality stands out the most in John's character?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is foreshadowed in Chapter 6? What does the reader expect to happen based on John's actions?

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

3. How does Sarny describe the circumstances of the slaves in the beginning of Chapter 5?

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

5. How is John's departure described in Chapter 6? What does Sarny make of John's farewell?

6. How has the relationship between Mammy and John evolved by Chapter 6?

7. What causes Master Waller to send Old Delie to the spring house in Chapter 5?

8. What leads up to Alice being being whipped by Waller in Chapter 4? How is her whipping described?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the “barter” made between John and Sarny when they first meet. How does bartering or trading relate to the theme of monetary value in the novel? What does Sarny trade with John in order to learn “letters”? What does John gain from the arrangement?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author’s depictions of violence and sexual assault in Nightjohn. What do you think is the importance of including these details of slave existence? Would the novel be as effective without its depictions of violence and abuse? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the character of Sarny as the protagonist and narrator of Nightjohn. How does Sarny describe her role in the story in Chapter 1? What aspects of Sarny’s character stand out for you as a reader? How old is Sarny’s character when she is first introduced? How does Sarny’s character evolve in the course of the story?

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