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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 does Willy drop on the beach near her boat?

2. Who arrives while Willy is waiting for her mother?

3. What does Lucy beg Jordan not to do?

4. What does Willy do?

5. Where does Willy stay near when she is traveling?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Willy end up staying in the fort during the fighting, and what does she do?

2. How does Willy get into the Fort?

3. What questions does Captain Ivers ask Willy? What worries Willy about his questions?

4. What do Willy and her aunt Betsy discuss concerning New York?

5. Why are Jack and his family no longer slaves?

6. Who is the boy whom Willy helps? What do they do?

7. How does Willy escape the American raiding party?

8. How does Willy slip away from the Ivers' household? Where does she go?

9. Where is Fort Griswold, and what is significant about the Fort?

10. Describe the first encounter between Willy and the Ivers.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Willy Freeman is only thirteen when she witnesses her father brutally killed. She travels to New York in search of her mother. Discuss the following:

1. Does it seem possible that Willy could have done everything she does at her age? Explain using examples.

2. Do you think the children of Willy's age were more mature and independent then as compared to the children of the present? Why or why not? Use examples of Willy's actions from the text and compare how you think the typical thirteen year old would respond to the same situation today.

3. Does it seem possible that Horace could have done everything he does at his age? Explain using examples.

Essay Topic 2

War Comes to Willy Freeman could be said to be a "bildungsroman" of Willy Freeman. Discuss the following:

1. Define the concepts "bildungsroman" and "coming of age."

2. Thoroughly trace and analyze War Comes to Willy Freeman as a bildungsroman of Willy Freeman. Give specific examples. What does Willy learn? How has she changed? Is the change for the better?

3. Why do you think many novels/stories written for teens are "coming of age" stories? Do you think it is good for teens to read this genre? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the following:

1. What is a plot? What are the most important elements of a plot and their definition? Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not?

2. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of War Comes to Willy Freeman, identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot?

3. Identify the major sub-plots and their elements in War Comes to Willy Freeman. The subplots may not contain every element of a major plot. Do the sub-plots add to the main plot? Why or why not? Are the sub-plots interesting in and of themselves? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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