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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. At the end of the slave auction, what does Legree promise to give Emmeline if she "is a good girl?"

2. In what city is the confectioner's shop (bakery that interests the Shelby plantation women)?

3. As Chapter 29 ends, where is Tom on his way to?

4. What is Mr. Shelby's opinion of Mrs. Shelby's knowledge of business?

5. In Chapter 45 what other "character" does the reader learn is based upon the same story as old Pru?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Cassy a key character in through whom Stowe explores Simon Legree's temperament and treatment of slaves?

2. What is Mr. Shelby's objection to Mrs. Shelby having taught religion to the slaves?

3. How does the language of Eliza and George's escape to freedom reflect the mood of this journey--"The blue waves of Lake Erie danced, rippling and sparkling in the sunlight. A fresh breeze blew from the shore, and the lordly boat ploughed her way right gallantly onward."

4. What purpose does Augustine St. Clare's defense of slavery serve to the reader?

5. Why might Stowe ends this chapter speaking directly to the reader about what might it feel like to be free for the first time?

6. How does the author use color and/or physical characteristics to symbolize the difference between Augustine and his daughter, Eva, and Alfred and his son, Henrique?

7. What does Stowe insist that Northerners do to truly live by their Christian beliefs?

8. Explain how the following passage is foreshadowing: "the rays of the sun formed a kind of glory behind her [Eva], as she came forward in her white dress, with her golden hair and glowing cheeks, her eyes unnaturally bright..."

9. With all the happy endings in the book, why might Stowe have chosen to have Tom, the most beloved character, beat to death?

10. How is Tom's death the epitome of selflessness and forgiveness?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The term "Uncle Tom" has come to have a very disparaging, insulting meaning in our modern society. It has come to describe an African American whom other African Americans consider to be subservient to white people and who treats whites in a way that suggests they are superior. This term comes from the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. After reading this novel, decide whether a reader should be empathetic to Tom's treatment of whites or whether this character deserves this reputation. Obviously, to answer this question, the writer must refer to specific deeds or quotations from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

In Uncle Tom's Cabin, Stowe has her principle black characters return to Africa and do missionary work. Evaluate that "ending" versus having them remain in Canada. What does this ending suggest about her feelings about:

a. racial integration,

b. the eventual abolition of slavery,

c. the contribution of blacks to American society, and

d. the obligation that white Americans had to the slaves that they obtained and exploited?

You may decide to write about three or all four of these topics.

Essay Topic 3

In the world of Uncle Tom's Cabin slavery is legal, escaping a plantation is illegal, being a slave catcher is a job, and as such, it is legal. How does Stowe explore the theme of legality versus morality through what we learn happens on plantations, the consequences of escaping, and the responsibilities slave catching?

(see the answer keys)

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