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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. Why is Travis sickened when he looks at Spot?

2. What is the trouble that Travis thinks is too big for any of them to handle?

3. What does Travis yell for Mama to bring him?

4. What fills Travis with terror when he goes back to find Old Yeller?

5. How does Travis know that he is near the hogs?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the condition of Travis and Old Yeller for the next few weeks.

2. Explain what Bud Searcy does to help Mama with her chores.

3. Explain why Travis and Old Yeller head out to bat cave country.

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

5. Describe Travis' condition when he returns home after dealing with the Spot heifer.

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

7. Describe how Travis plans to mark the remainder of his hogs.

8. Explain why Travis can't sleep the night Burn Sanderson leaves.

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1) Analyze the events leading up to Old Yeller's death at the end of the novel.

2) Describe the symptoms and dangers of hydrophobia as seen in the novel.

3) Explain if Travis had any other alternatives other than shooting Old Yeller in the head.

4) Is Travis justified in his killing of Old Yeller? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

1) Evaluate the relationship between Travis and his brother, Little Arliss.

2) How does Old Yeller affect their relationship with one another?

3) What event changes the way Travis views his brother and how he feels about him?

Give examples from the novel of the interaction between the two brothers.

Essay Topic 3

1) What is the message Gipson is trying to convey about life after the Civil War in the novel?

2) Does he depict a realistic and relevant view of human nature through the Coates' family and neighbors?

3) Are the human qualities of each character true to life? Explain.

4) How do the characters convey the everyday struggles of life?

(see the answer keys)

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