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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. What does Makepeace say in regards to Alvin?

2. How had Arthur Stuart been with Alvin?

3. What nationality was the girl who answered the door?

4. What did Old Peg Guester name the Black boy-baby?

5. What does the African slave girl think Peggy's voice belongs to?

Short Essay Questions

1. What had White folk found a way to calculate?

2. Why was the Berry's saying that this half white child was theirs was the best bet to ensure the child's survival?

3. Why does Peggy not admire her father for helping Black slaves get north and free?

4. Why was the man that Peggy had been dancing with confused when Peggy stopped dancing?

5. What decision changed little Peggy's life, and in what way did it change?

6. How did Hank feel about Alvin?

7. What did Hank understand in regards to Alvin that he wouldn't have otherwise?

8. Why did Alvin end up feeling like he was "half hisself"?

9. What does Peggy say that Mistress Modesty's knack is?

10. What kinds of things told Cavil clearly what profession his visitor occupied?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does this novel paint a dark picture of slavery and therefore of American history? Is it important to keep in mind the past? Why or why not? What is important about remembering the era of slavery in America?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Mistress Modesty's statement "much of what is best in me, your father gave me" in reference to Horace Guester. What did she mean by this, and how is this revealed to the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the exchange of information that occurs between Measure and Alvin at the end of the novel. How do each benefit from the knowledge the other is willing to teach? Whose knowledge is more specific to certain circumstance? Explain.

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This section contains 967 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample