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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. At the beginning of the book, Jane waits for the churchmen. What will the churchmen attack Jane for?

2. Who does Jane think is the "unseen hand"?

3. Venters goes to find the red herd, but he also wants to do something very specific. What is it?

4. What did Jane's father train her to do?

5. After the conversation with Blake, Jane feels the world closing in on her and admits to Lassiter that sometimes she want to run away with him. How does Lassiter react?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Tull's campaign to pressure Jane into marriage. How does he manipulate other Mormon and non-Mormons to help him with his campaign.

2. Once Venters reaches Surprise Valley he skins the rabbit and saves the hide? Why would he want to keep this hide? What feeling is Venters trying to capture and hang on to?

3. Who was Milly Erne and why did she refuse to teach at the school? What impact did this have on Milly's life?

4. What is Jane's main goal with Lassiter? What is she trying to get him to do? How is she using Fay to get what she wants from Lassiter? How is she using Lassiter's attraction to her to get what she wants?

5. Bess tells Venters that she has memories of women and children. Who do you think these people were? What do you think their relationship was with Bess?

6. 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?

7. Jane wonders aloud if Lassiter was Milly's husband. Why would this be important? Would this mean that Lassiter was a Mormon?

8. Venters goes every day to Deception Pass and practices with his guns. Before the opening incident with Tull, who did he think was after him? Why did he feel the need to practice with his guns?

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

10. Compare the entrance to Surprise Valley under the stone bridge and the entrance to the ancient cave dwellers up the steep steps. How are these the same and how are they different? What did they mean to the ancient peoples and how are they important to Venters and Bess?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the small breaking points in the story for Jane and her Mormon religion. What was the final blow?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

During the race between Venters and Jerry Card, several pieces of chivalry and honor are used as a guideline to a code of conduct of which both men are aware. When this story was first published, do you think more people understood the rules of engagement for an event such as this? Do we understand it today? How are these rules different and the same as today?

(see the answer keys)

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