View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What is Doctor Varner's first name?

3. In what state does Hipps try to sell his wild horses?

4. Who does Ratcliff claim is directly responsible for the damages the Tull family incurred as a result of the wild horse stampede?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Mrs. Armstid described when she enters the courtroom to plead her case to the judge?

2. What are Eck's expectations when he enters the court on the day of his trial?

3. Why does Snopes end up with five dollars in his hand at the end of the auction?

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

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

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

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

8. What happens when the boat overturns that the tall and fat convicts are paddling down the river?

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

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

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

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?

Essay Topic 3

In the story, "The Bear", the land itself holds great significance to many of the characters in the story. Choose one character from the story and describe their relationship with the land. Where did this character learn their relationship to/with the land? How does their relationship with the land affect this character's actions and motivations throughout the story? Be sure to include at least two examples from the text that you believe help strengthen your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,276 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample