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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 Mama clean Travis' wound?

2. Why does Travis hate gathering corn?

3. What does Travis see that makes him think Old Yeller is dead?

4. What does Travis do while Mama, Lisbeth, and Old Yeller go to burn Spot?

5. How does Old Yeller react to the animal that comes into the yard?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mama tell Little Arliss to do while she is stitching Old Yeller's belly?

2. Describe what Mama does to treat Travis' wound.

3. Describe Travis' state of mind after he shoots Old Yeller.

4. What happens to Travis as he is marking the hogs?

5. Describe what Travis sees after he builds a small fire out of bear grass.

6. Describe what Travis and Mama do with the bull.

7. What decision does Mama and Travis make regarding the Spot heifer?

8. Summarize the scene when the Spot heifer returns to the cabin.

9. Explain the first thing Mama and Travis see as they get closer to the spot where Travis hid Old Yeller.

10. Describe what Lisbeth does while staying with Travis and his family.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1) Analyze Travis' coming of age throughout the novel.

2) What fears and emotions does he experience as he grows in each chapter of the novel?

3) How do his attitudes change as he develops from the boy when his Papa leaves to the young man at the end of the novel?

4) Cite examples of the character changes Travis goes through from different events in the novel.

Essay Topic 2

1) Write an introduction for the novel discussing Fred Gipson's writing style, use of dialogue, imagery, and the point of view of the characters.

2) How do these literary elements affect the story?

Essay Topic 3

1) Analyze the resolution of the story as it relates to each of the characters in the novel.

2) Explain the metamorphosis each of them experiences in the final chapter.

3) Describe how Papa's words," A man can't afford to waste the good parts of life, worrying about the bad parts. That makes it all bad..." relate to Travis, Little Arliss, and Mama.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 916 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample