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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 is the old black man cooking when Jane and Ned encounter him in “Hunter”?

2. Who buys the plantation back in “A Flicker of Light; and Again Darkness”?

3. How long after the narrator's last interview with Miss Jane does he say she died in the Introduction?

4. Why does Jane become angry and beat a man with a stick in “Heading North”?

5. Whose shotgun does Miss Jane's caretaker threaten to get if needed in the Introduction?

Short Essay Questions

1. What purpose does the Introduction serve to the plot and/or themes in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman?

2. How are women depicted in comparison to men in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman?

3. How would you describe the language style of Jane's narrative in the novel?

4. How does the government investigator help Jane and Ned after getting them across the river in “Shelter for a Night”?

5. Who is the stranger that Ned and Jane encounter in “Hunter”? What is he doing?

6. How does Jane's narrative perspective influence the plot of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman?

7. Why does Jane tell the white woman in "Heading South" that she won't return to her home plantation? How does the woman reply?

8. Why does Jane turn down the white woman's offer in "Heading South"?

9. How does Job's wife respond when he brings Ned and Jane home in “Rednecks and Scalawags”?

10. What is symbolized through Jane's actions in "Man's Way"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Jimmy Caya in the novel. Where does Jimmy Caya live and what brings him to the Samson Plantation? How would you describe Jimmy's viewpoints regarding race?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the genre and the narrative style of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. From whose perspective is the story related? Is the book fiction or nonfiction? Why do you think the author chose to narrate the story in this manner?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the characters of Job and his wife. Where do Jane and Ned encounter Job? How does he help them? What is Job's wife's attitude towards Ned and Jane?

(see the answer keys)

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