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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. When Eva talks to Topsy about love, what is the one thing/person that Topsy admits to loving?

2. After they get the letter from Tom, what does Aunt Chloe ask Mrs. Shelby to write for her?

3. While Tom is a slave on the Legree plantation, who tries to convince Tom to kill Legree?

4. In Chapter 45, what advice does Stowe give to the white mothers of the North?

5. When Rosa and Ophelia think they see Topsy hiding something she has stolen, what does this item turn out to be?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why might Simon Legree "secretly dislike" Tom and why was it so important for him to get Tom to whip a person?

2. What event triggers the turning point in Augustine's religious beliefs and who is responsible for his religious education here?

3. Why might Stowe have had the significant black characters who are now free end up going to Africa to do missionary work?

4. As the loose ends of the story are tied up in Chapter 44, what is the purpose of Chapter 45, the final chapter?

5. 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..."

6. What does the death of Augustine emphasize about the lives and futures of their slaves?

7. What happens in Chapter 38 where Tom is left along often that actually foreshadows Tom's death?

8. What are the similarities between Aunt Chloe And Mrs. Shelby which are emphasized?

9. What is ironic about how and why Augustine St. Clare dies?

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

One of the necessary components of a tragic hero is that he dies. In Uncle Tom's Cabin, Tom dies. If the reader accepts that Tom is a hero, what other qualities of a hero does Tom exemplify?

Conversely, you may decide that Tom is not a hero. If so, refer to specific incidents or quotations that support your view.

Essay Topic 2

While the author is writing to protest and put an end to slavery, she was writing for a significant portion of the population that believed slavery was necessary to their economy. On a very basic level, she had to show what was evil about slavery. What situations did she create to most effectively show the evils of slavery? To discuss this, review the treatments of specific slaves in specific incidents such as Tom, Eliza, George, Aunt Chloe, Emmeline, and Topsy.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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