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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. Who takes care of Moses after he is hobbled and has fallen into a depression so deep he refuses to eat or see anyone?

2. What ailment does Morris Calhenny suffer that only his slave, Beau, can help him overcome?

3. Who claims to be sick the following day and unable to work in the fields as ordered?

4. Where does Counsel hope to eventually make his home?

5. Who is Saskia Wilhelm?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Caldonia buy for her slaves that she earlier rejected but now sees as an asset.

2. Why does Moses force Celeste to work in the fields even though she claims to be sick?

3. Why does a man named Hiram Jenkins want to kill Counsel after offering him shelter and food the night before?

4. Why is Jebediah Dickinson arrested? What lie is revealed upon this arrest?

5. What disease does Saskia Wilhelm contract that she exposes all the people on Counsel's plantation to?

6. Why does Saskia Wilhelm's husband force her into prostitution? Where does Saskia end up?

7. Who is pressuring Skiffington to find Caldonia's missing slaves and what temptation is adding to Skiffington's stress?

8. As Skiffington begins to investigate the disappearance of Moses' family and Alice, what does he begin to suspect?

9. How does Mildred get killed?

10. Why does Moses force his way into Caldonia's house? What does he demand to know?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss William Robbins. Who is Robbins? Why does he have so much power in Manchester County? Who is Robbins to Henry? What is their relationship like? Why is Robbins more of a mentor to Henry than his own father? Why did Robbins free Henry's father? Why did he refuse to free Henry? What does this say about their relationship? Why does Robbins eventually free Henry? How does their relationship change? How does their relationship remain the same?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss morality. What is morality? Are moral issues black and white? Should people own slaves? Should only whites own slaves? Should only black own slaves? Does it make more sense, morally, for a black to own a slave? Why or why not? Should slaves supervise and punish one another? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the treatment of slaves in this novel. Who treated the slaves worse, the white plantation owners, the white lawmen, the black slave owners, or the slave overseers? What are the differences between the various treatment of the slaves? Who thought they treated the slaves better? Did they? Why or why not? Is it possible to treat a slave kindly? Should slaves have been freed by their black owners? Is it more morally corrupt for a freed slave to own a slave than a white man who has always been free? Why or why not?

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