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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 discovers the "sweet" rifle in 1993 in the attic of a house in Connecticut?
2. What does Cornish McManus use to put the final finish and shine on his "sweet" rifle?
3. What surprises Cornish McManus the most when first he test fires the rifle?
4. Who built the rifle discussed in the novel?
5. How much does Tim Harrow pay for the "sweet" rifle when he buys it at an Arkansas gun show?
Short Essay Questions
1. Why does John Byam kill the first British officer that he kills?
2. The cover image of several common editions of the book shows a left-handed flintlock rifle. Does the book describe the rifle as being left-handed?
3. Does the "sweet" rifle have a will of its own?
4. What aspect of Cornish McManus's personality, that John Waynewright dislikes, allows him to build a "sweet" rifle?
5. Describe how life in the American army forces is presented in the novel.
6. The last time he loaded his rifle, John Byam used an extraordinary amount of care during the process. Do you think he always was so careful when loading?
7. 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?
8. What does John Byam use the "sweet" rifle for?
9. When Cornish McManus built his "sweet" rifle, what did he probably imagine it would be used for?
10. Most gunsmiths would test their barrels early in the manufacturing process, to avoid wasting time finishing faulty barrels. Cornish McManus does not test his barrel until the entire gun is finished. Why?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Why does the novel spend so much time characterizing Richard Allen Mesinger? After all, his interaction with the rifle lasts less than one second and the narrative makes it clear that Mesinger never even knew he was being killed. Within the narrative, what difference does it make that Mesinger was who he was?
Essay Topic 2
In the novel, the black powder rifle discharges after 217 of being loaded. Is this credible? Or is it merely a piece of melodrama to establish a political opinion within the novel?
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 651 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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