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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. After dinner with Lassiter and Jane, Venters says he must leave. Why?

2. Where did Jane get her horses?

3. What does Jane want more than anything else for Lassiter?

4. When Blake returns to Withersteen house, what does Blake need to tell Lassiter?

5. Lassiter wants to go home? Where is home for Lassiter?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of the gold that Jane uses to pay both Judkins and Blake? Where did she get it? Why is she paying these men in gold? Does this say anything about her father?

2. When Jane visits the Brandts in town, the women warn her about her behavior. What are the Mormon's women's concerns with Jane? How do they think she will be punished? How will she be rewarded if she marries Tull? Would her marriage to Tull be the right thing for her religiously?

3. Who is Jane's one lone defender when Tull begins to pressure Jane into marriage? How can one person help Jane? Is defending Jane a job that requires more people?

4. How does Venters find the openings to the canyons? How does he find Oldring's den?

5. When Venters returns from hunting, Bess is sitting up in bed and wants to be lifted down. What does this moment signify in their relationship? How are they judging each other at this point in the story?

6. How is Tull different than the man he pretends to be? How does he play both ends of his conspiracy against Jane?

7. Jane is torn between her love for the Mormon church and the reality of the actions of it's leaders. How is this internal conflict reflected in Jane's actions?

8. As Bess tells Venters of her relationship with Oldring, does she seem haunted? What about her past does not match with the girl that Venters is getting to know? Is Venters having trouble seeing both sides of Bess? Are there two sides to Bess?

9. Mrs. Larkin would like for Fay to be raised by Jane, but without Mormon teachings. According to the story, what is Mrs. Larkin really afraid of for her little Fay if she is raised Mormon?

10. Venters sees Oldring and the Masked Rider ride across the edge of Jane's land. Why is this ominous? What do the people know about Oldring?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Bishop Dyer use religious guilt to control Jane? Why is Jane unable to overcome her fixation on Bishop Dyer's religious image? At what point in the novel do you feel the tide is changing in regard to Jane's feelings toward Bishop Dyer. Please be specific.

Essay Topic 2

What is the symbolism of the sage? How does the sage define the lives of the characters? Start when Venters chooses to go sleep in the sage instead of sleeping indoors. Does the sage mean freedom? Peace? What?

Essay Topic 3

Why would Tull's actions toward Jane be described as a conspiracy? Who is involved in hurting Jane? Is Tull acting along? If not, how is Tull getting other people to take action against Jane?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,300 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample