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 is the stump used for that Waller orders one of the field hands to fetch in Chapter 5?

2. Where does Waller kick Sarny when he finds her writing in Chapter 5?

3. How long does Sarny say it took Waller and his dogs to catch Jim when he ran in Chapter 4?

4. What question does Sarny always ask about the letters of the alphabet when John introduces them to her?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does the relationship between Mammy and John change after John explains his past in Chapter 4?

3. Why do you think it is important for John to teach the slaves to read and write as opposed to teaching them other information?

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. What happens after Alice's whipping in Chapter 4? How are Alice's wounds treated?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the character of Mammy, or Old Delie, in the novel. About how old do you imagine Mammy to be? What is Mammy’s essential function on Waller’s plantation? How would you describe the bond between Sarny and Mammy?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the themes of freedom and faith in Nightjohn. What does “freedom” mean to you? Consider yourself in Sarny’s circumstances; how would your experience and perception of freedom differ? What would it mean to have faith in freedom for a slave like Sarny?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the setting of Waller’s plantation. About how many slaves do you imagine living on the plantation? What kinds of crops does Waller produce? Where on the plantation do the slaves live? What are their living quarters like? How is Waller’s home described?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 996 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample