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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. Why does Little Ann stop barking when she trees the "ghost coon"?

2. Which of the following is NOT something Billy believes would be at the dogs' grave sites years later?

3. What concerns Billy about Old Dan's behavior when he trees the animal in Chapter 18?

4. What surprises the hunting contest judge about Billy's dogs' final catch?

5. What challenge do the Pritchard boys pose for Billy and the dogs?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Rainie Pritchard suggest that Billy should accept that his dogs cannot catch the "ghost coon"?

2. Years after leaving the Ozarks, what does Billy imagine he would find if he should ever visit the dogs' graves?

3. What do Papa and Billy do upon returning home from the hunting competition? How does the family react?

4. How is the "ghost coon" able to evade the dogs?

5. What does Billy notice about the other dogs in the hunting competition?

6. Describe the exchange that takes place between Billy, Grandpa and the Pritchard boys.

7. Describe the legend of the red fern.

8. Why doesn't Billy follow his dogs to the third raccoon in the final round of the hunting competition? What does he do instead?

9. Describe the struggle between Billy's dogs and the mountain lion.

10. How does Billy's family react to the news of the hunting competition?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the themes Where the Red Fern Grows address is love and loyalty. Discuss what the novel has to say about this theme. Cite several specific examples from the novel to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

In Where the Red Fern Grows the author uses several recurrent symbols. Choose two of the following symbols (red fern, raccoons, the lantern, the ax, the abandoned campsite, the river) and

1) describe how the symbol is presented in the novel

2) discuss the significance and impact of the symbol on the plot and character development.

Be sure to cite specific examples from the novel to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

Billy grows and changes as a character as the novel progresses. At the same time, he holds to a core set of values. Compare and contrast Billy at several different stages in his development. Be sure to cite examples from the text to support your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,100 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample