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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. When did the American Civil War end?

2. When does the narrative take place in Chapter Sixty-three?

3. Who does Jeanne say came up with the idea of the Honey Hunt in Chapter Fifty-three?

4. What is Hank doing when he is killed in Chapter Forty-four?

5. What is the date of Peter’s first diary entry in Chapter Forty-five?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Eli’s narrative tone in Chapter Forty. What are examples of humor used in the chapter?

2. How does Jeanne come to be knocked unconscious in Chapter Sixty-nine?

3. What is the earliest conflict between the Garcias and the McCulloughs, as illustrated in Chapter Fifty-nine?

4. How does Eli help the captive buffalo hunter in Chapter Twenty-five?

5. Why does Peter express unhappiness about the discovery of oil on his family’s land?

6. How does Judge Black’s wife perceive Eli when he returns from the Rangers in Chapter Forty?

7. How does Eli return from Indian captivity to civilization in Chapter Thirty-one?

8. Why do Eli’s troops raid the Federal soldiers in Chapter Fifty-two? What happens during the raid?

9. How does the author illustrate Jeanne’s political connections in Chapter Thirty-five?

10. How does the relationship between Eli and Ellen develop in Chapters Thirty-three through Thirty-seven?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the characters of Corkie and Jonas in the novel. Where does Jeanne meet Corkie? What are her impressions of this character? How are Jeanne and Jonas similar? How do these characters differ?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author’s historical depictions of the Indian raids in Texas in the 1840s. How frequently were homes attacked in the settlements that bordered on or crossed into Indian Territory? How did these raids impact Indian/Settler relations? How accurate are the author’s depictions of this era and the surrounding circumstances of both the settlers and the Native Americans?

Essay Topic 3

Explore and discuss the themes of “alienation” and “morality” in the novel. In what ways do each of the three narrator/protagonists face alienation in the course of the story? What moral decisions are made by these characters, and upon what is their morality based?

(see the answer keys)

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