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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 does the doctor react when he learns the truth about the convict's past?

2. Which of the following characters states that, "If a man can't take care of himself in a trade, he can't blame the man that trims him"?

3. How much money is Flem Snopes ordered to pay back to the Armstid family?

4. How does the judge in the Armstid case treat Flem Snopes?

5. What is Doctor Varner's first name?

Short Essay Questions

1. What crime was the tall convict convicted of committing?

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

3. What interaction does the convict have with the first boat of survivors from the flood?

4. Why is Tull outraged with the decision about his case in the courtroom?

5. How does Hipps treat the wild horses that he brings in from Texas to sell in Mississippi?

6. What happens when Eck's horse comes into contact with the Littlejohn house?

7. What is Ratcliff's reaction to Hipps' arrival in Mississippi?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

In the opening of "The Old Man", the readers meet two convicts that are serving time for various crimes. First, describe the crimes of the fat convict and compare / contrast those crimes with the crimes of the tall convict. What is the same about their crimes? What is different? Then, explain why each of these men is actually in prison and what their reactions to their sentences are. What message do you think Faulkner is sending his readers about guilt and punishment through the example of these two convicts?

(see the answer keys)

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