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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 the plow man do when people get stuck in the mud?

2. Which two characters will walk behind Sam and Boon?

3. What kind of animal did Ned train to run like a horse?

4. What is the doctor's surname?

5. How many times does Boon try to shoot Ludus?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the final scene in Chapter 4 express the theme of racism?

2. Why do they have to make the 23 train in Chapter 3?

3. Why does Ned feel so at ease with the prostitutes?

4. What are the elements of virtue and non-virtue that are shown in this chapter?

5. In what ways can Maury be seen as a positive character?

6. What is the unspoken agreement between Father and John?

7. How does beginning of Chapter 5 describe the transition between Mississippi and Tennessee?

8. What themes does Chapter 3 introduce?

9. What does Lucius feel after he has driven the vehicle?

10. Summarize the novel.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

William Faulkner is a American writer responsible for some of the greatest American novels of the 20th century. Examine Faulkner's life. What kind of upbringing did he have? What kind of education? What were the major themes of his work? Why do you think Faulkner's novels were so relevant in the mid-20th century and continue to be relevant today?

Essay Topic 2

Why does Faulkner use Memphis as his main setting? What affect does Memphis have on the characters' thoughts and actions? How would the story's meaning change if he used another setting such as Dallas? Would the characters act differently?

Essay Topic 3

How do you think black men were emasculated during slavery? What affects do you think this had on black men when slavery was finally abolished? Do the students think these affects are still apparent today? How has black masculinity developed since the time of the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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