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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. How old was Jeanne’s mother when she died?

2. What is the diary entry dated that comprises Chapter Six?

3. What is the name of the man that Prairie Flower is romantically involved with when she begins an affair with Eli in Chapter Nineteen?

4. How old is Jeanne in the flashback where the Colonel is ninety-eight in Chapter Five?

5. What nickname does Eli’s father call their neighbor who has his horses stolen in Chapter Four?

Short Essay Questions

1. How would you describe the narrative style of the first three chapters of the novel?

2. How does Eli’s relationship with Toshaway develop during Eli’s capture in Chapters Nine through Thirteen?

3. How is the theme of gender bias illustrated in Chapters Nine through Thirteen?

4. Why are homesteaders like Eli’s family in danger of raids? What has created these circumstances?

5. How is Peter’s relationship with the Garcia family illustrated in Chapter Three?

6. What time period is Chapter Four set in? How old is Eli, and what position does he have within his family?

7. How does Peter’s account of the incident with the Garcias differ from his father’s in Chapter Six?

8. How do the Colonel and Charles differ in their viewpoints about their land and future?

9. How do Eli and Martin differ in their response to the circumstances once they are captives in Chapter Four?

10. How does the McCullough family’s acquisition of the Garcias’ land impact the community in Chapter Eighteen? How does Peter feel about the acquisition?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the characters of Jeanne McCullough and Eli McCullough in the novel. How are Jeanne and her great-grandfather alike? How do they differ? What kind of relationship did Jeanne have with the Colonel before he died?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Martin McCullough in the novel. How old is Martin when the McCullough homestead is raided? What kind of relationship do Martin and Eli have? How are Martin and Eli different in their responses to captivity by the Indians?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the settings of the McCullough ranch and the adjoining Garcia land that is purchased in the novel. How many acres do the McCulloughs and the Garcias own? What does the land look like? What do you think the McCullough and Garcia lands represent symbolically in the story?

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