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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 the convict and the refugee pass the first boat on the river, what is the gruff man aboard the boat holding in his hands?

2. How long is the sentence that the convict was sentenced to serve?

3. How long was the tall convict away from prison before he finally returned?

4. What color is the cross on the flag that the convict and the refugee board once they leave their island?

5. What gift does Snopes give to Henry's wife as a peace offering?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the story of "The Old Man" open?

2. How do the Mississippi farmers plan to wrangle the horses after Hipps skips town?

3. What crime did the fat convict plead guilty to in court, and why?

4. Toward the end of the trip on the steamboat, how does the Red Cross doctor treat the convict?

5. Where is the refugee woman's baby born?

6. What reaction does Doctor Varner have to the news that there has been a wild horse stampede in town?

7. How does the tall convict react to the army camp the prisoners are resettled to during the flood?

8. How is Wallstreet almost injured while helping to prepare the wild horses for their auction?

9. What happens the firs time the convict attempts to turn himself into the police?

10. What is the general reaction to the judgment against Snopes in the courtroom?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, "The Old Man", Faulkner continues to hint at what he believes to be the dehumanization of men in prison. Choose two examples from the text that you believe best exemplify the dehumanization of prisoners. How does Faulkner use the examples of the two convicts as a way to explore this dehumanization? Finally, do you think Faulkner's message of dehumanization could effect change in current prisons today? Why or why not? Be sure to include at least two examples from the text that you believe help to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

In both of the stories, "The Old Man" and "Spotted Horses", the stories explore the role the law plays in the common folks' lives. First, explain what role the law (police) plays in the lives of the characters in "Spotted Horses" and compare / contrast that to the role the law plays in the story "The Old Man". Then, choose one character whose life you think was bettered by the intrusion of the law in their problems and compare / contrast that to one character whose life you think was ruined by the law interfering with their problems. At the end of the day, what message do you think Faulkner is trying to send his readers about the intrusion of the law in our everyday lives?

Essay Topic 3

When Hipps comes to town with the spotted horses in the story of the same name, the one heckler he meets in the crowd in a man called Ratcliff. First, describe Ratcliff's character. What motivation does Ratcliff have to heckle Hipps when he comes to town? Then, describe what has happened in Ratcliff's history that made the Texan people not take his critique of Hipps seriously. Do you think the townsfolk should have listened to Ratcliff? Why or why not? Be sure to include at least two examples from the text to strengthen your argument.

(see the answer keys)

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