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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. Whose writings does Willa refer to as her "new Bible" in Chapter 9 (232)?

2. How many older brothers does Thatcher have?

3. Who comes to interrupt the conversation between Willa and Gwen in Chapter 9?

4. What is Tig's full first name?

5. Whose barouche ran away and crashed, according to Polly in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Thatcher and Rose's childhoods and upbringing differ?

2. What has brought Thatcher and his family to Vineland?

3. Why does Thatcher go to Mary Treat's home in Chapter 4?

4. What struggles does Willa face with her work in Chapter 3?

5. What is revealed in the conversation between Willa and Iano in the evening after Gwen's visit in Chapter 9?

6. Who is Tig and why is she living in Willa's home?

7. How is the setting of Batsto described in Chapter 8?

8. How is Gwendolyn described? What are Willa's first impressions of her?

9. How would you describe the relationship between Tig and Zeke?

10. When and where is Thatcher's story primarily set? How is this established?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze the plot structure of Unsheltered. Where does the rising action begin? Where does the climax occur? Given the two storylines in the book, how does this impact its plot structure?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the real-life individual Captain Landis and his portrayal in the novel. What led Landis to found Vineland? When was it founded? What are other noteworthy aspects of Landis's story? Would you say he is a protagonist or antagonist in the novel? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the roles of women in Unsheltered. How are the women in the nineteenth-century narrative portrayed? In what ways do the roles of these women differ? How would you compare them to the stories of women in the contemporary narrative?

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