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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. What is Boon doing under the tree when Ike falls upon him?

2. How many years does the governor decide to add to the tall convict's sentence for attempted escape?

3. What was the name of Carothers' favorite slave with whom he fathered a child?

4. Which of the following adjectives best describes Ike's marriage?

5. How do Ike and McCaslin feel when they are reading the ledgers from the old plantation their family used to own?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the convict spend his time during the week he lives with the Cajun man?

2. What happens when Ike runs into Boon one last time in the woods?

3. How do the hunters learn that Old Ben is not an indestructible force of nature?

4. Who does Ike visit with as he rides through the woods one last time?

5. What casualties are incurred while Old Ben is fighting for his life in the moments before his death?

6. What is the legend that surrounds Old Ben?

7. What does Ike claim is the curse that has landed in the South?

8. Who is Lion, and how does he react the first time he comes face-to-face with Old Ben?

9. Who is Ash?

10. Why must the convict and Cajun man eventually part ways?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the story "The Old Man", the tall convict is faced with the idea of freedom for the first time in eight years during the flood. First, explain the tall convict's reaction to the idea of freedom. How does the convict's relationship to freedom and the outside, "normal" world fuel his actions throughout the story. How do these actions give the reader deeper insight into the tall convict's view of himself and of his crimes? Be sure to include at least two examples from the text that you believe help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

One of the strongest themes in the story "The Old Man" is the theme of fear, particularly the fears of the tall convict. First, create a list of fears that the tall prisoner has. Then, choose one of those fears and explain how the fear affects the relationships he forms in his life. Finally, explain whether or not the convict conquers this fear in the story and how he does so. If he doesn't conquer this fear, explain how the convict lets the fear overtake his life. Be sure to include at least two examples from the text that you believe help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

In the story "Spotted Horses", the escaped wild horses run rampant in the town, creating much damage for the already struggling Mississippi families. First, explain how the horses managed to escape from their pens and then list the damages created by their stampede. Which family do you think came out with the worst damages after the stampede? How can you tell? Finally, explain how the damaged family managed to right their lives again (if they did) and what effect the horse stampede had on this family's relationship with the town.

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