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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 function does the tang perform on the rifle that Cornish McManus built?
2. How much does Harv Kline want to charge Tim Harrow for fixing his vehicle?
3. When the "sweet" rifle is first sold in 1993 as "just a piece of junk" (p. 52) how much does it sell for?
4. What is the twist rate of the rifling of the barrel of Cornish McManus' "sweet" rifle?
5. What do the colonials call Americans who do not want to gain independence from British rule?
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe how the British are presented in the novel.
2. Describe how life in the American army forces is presented in the novel.
3. Imagine you are the "sweet" rifle. Who would you rather be owned by--Cornish McManus or John Byam?
4. Why does Cornish McManus decide to sell the "sweet" rifle, one of his most-cherished possessions?
5. The novel spends many pages describing the construction of the rifle. Do you have a clear mental image of the processes involved in hand-making a muzzle-loading rifle?
6. The cover image of several common editions of the book shows a highly-engraved flintlock rifle. Does the book describe the rifle as being engraved?
7. Cornish McManus is a superb gunsmith with great vision and skill. Describe his shooting ability.
8. The "sweet" rifle shoots a .40 caliber ball; most rifles of the period shot a much, much larger ball. Does the small caliber of the "sweet" rifle reduce its killing capability?
9. Cornish McManus is astounded when his "sweet" rifle puts three balls into one ragged hole at thirty paces (about 75 feet) while shooting from a solid rest. By today's accuracy standards is McManus' rifle's performance astounding?
10. Do you think that John Byam "got his money's worth" out of the "sweet" rifle?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Of the major characters in the novel (Cornish McManus, John Byam, Tim Harrow, Harv Kline, and Richard Allen Mesinger), are any of them heroic? If not, why not. If so, who is heroic and why do you consider them heroic?
Essay Topic 2
The novel argues that during the Colonial period rifles were needed tools but that in today's society they are no longer useful. Discuss this contrast.
Essay Topic 3
The novel openly mocks Tim Harrow's personal philosophy that draws from firearms and American history, the United States Constitution, and Christianity. Do you think that these sources of information are suitable for mockery?
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This section contains 642 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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