View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What activity do Jesse and Bob do with Jesse's son?

2. Where is John's body found?

3. Where are the Hites from?

4. On what hand is Jesse missing a piece of his finger?

5. Who is Susan?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Jesse's attitude, when the novel opens, toward smoking and drinking?

2. What does Bob report he and Jesse talked about as the two men are getting to know each other?

3. Who do Union soldiers try to beat information out of during the Civil War?

4. What is Ed Miller nervous about when Jesse comes to visit him at his home?

5. Why is Jesse's son known as Tim?

6. Who is Cole Younger?

7. How does John Tabor respond to the affair between Dick and Sarah?

8. What does Annie do when she marries Frank?

9. What is Ed talking about when Jesse shoots him?

10. What kind of reputation does Sarah have as she marries Wood's father?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Present a well-reasoned paper arguing whether the reader is supposed to find Bob Ford a likable (dedicated, determined, trying to do the "right" thing) character OR an unlikable (manipulative, fame-hungry, back-stabbing, weak) character. Make sure to use specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast 2 female characters from "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" and discuss what they contribute and/or take away from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss at least 3 challenges an author, like Hansen, faces when writing historical fiction. Make sure to use at least 3 examples from "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" to support your position.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 696 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample