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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. After leaving the hut, where does the convict resettle?

2. How did Ash feel when he saw Ike kill his first deer?

3. Who do the hunters send along with the young boy to the liquor store?

4. Which of the following characters saves Lion from being scooped up by Old Ben?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How is Old Ben killed?

4. How does Ike respond when he learns that he has inherited a large chunk of land from his father's will?

5. How does the Cajun man hunt alligators?

6. What happens in the story when the young boy turns sixteen?

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

8. How do Ike and McCaslin learn the dark truth of their family's history on the plantation?

9. What crime does Ike accuse his grandfather or committing, and what proof does he have of this crime?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Throughout his life, the tall convict questions what it means to have a "normal" life outside of prison. First, describe the reaction the tall convict has to the pregnant refugee he is ordered to save. What does this woman teach the tall convict about life on "the outside"? Then, explain the reaction the tall convict has to the young woman he meets in the refugee camp. What does this woman teach the tall convict about life on the outside? Finally, explain which woman you think had a deeper impact on the convict, and who the convict will be thinking about while finishing his sentence behind bars. Be sure to include at least two examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout his life, Ike undergoes many rites of passage for Southern men, including the rite of passage of owning land. First, describe how Ike comes to own a large section of hunting land. Then, describe Ike's reaction to the news that he is the owner of this land. How does Ike feel that the history of owning land and the history of the South are inextricably intertwined? Do you agree with Ike's assessment of the land? Why or why not? Be sure to include at least two examples from the text that you believe help strengthen your arguments.

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