English 7 Name: ______

Richboro Middle School Section: ______

Witness: Act V

Part One: Character Identification

Directions: Read each item and identify the character being described. Write the full name of the character (first and last name) on the corresponding blank.

1.______This character is branded on the back

with the letters KKK.

2.______This character spots Merlin—or someone who

looks like him— while traveling in Plattsburg,

New York.

3. ______This character owes a debt of gratitude to Ira

Hirsh for providing him or her with a pair of galoshes, which he or she gives away as a gift.

4. ______This character convinces Leanora that she

cannot let Merlin be punished for the attempted murder of Ira Hirsh.

Part Two: Short Answer

Directions: Provide a short response to each of the items below. Write your answer, in a complete sentence, on the line. 2 points each

5. While on the run from the Klan, Merlin sends a package to his former boss Reynard Alexander. What does the package contain? ______

6. What does Percelle Johnson find which so upsets Viola Pettibone? (Hint: It is something she’s always wanted.) ______

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7. To whom does Esther confess what she knows about her father’s shooting? ______

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8. At what moment does Leanora Sutter discover that Mr. Field can see? What are the circumstances surrounding this discovery? ______

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Part Three: Essay A

Directions: Write a three to six sentence response to the following questions. Please write in complete sentences.

9. Merlin cannot go through with his plan to poison the Sutters’ well. He says of Leanora “she was still a colored girl but she wasn’t just a colored girl” (150). At what point in the novel do Merlin’s feelings towards Leanora change? How does he feel about Leanora now? How is this different than what he felt in the beginning?

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10. Throughout the novel, Esther and Leanora are pursued by the Klan. It is ironic, therefore, at the end of the novel that these two characters—both members of “undesirable” races and both under the age of twelve—hold considerable power. Describe the power these characters possess. How is this significant?

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11. Who is the “ghost” who haunts Merlin Van Tornhout? Do you feel that he is really dead? Explain why or why not, using sound evidence from the novel.

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Part Three: Essay B

Directions: Write a three to six sentence response to the following questions. Please write in complete sentences. 4 points each

9. Merlin cannot go through with his plan to poison the Sutters’ well. He says of Leanora “she was still a colored girl but she wasn’t just a colored girl” (150). At what point in the novel do Merlin’s feelings towards Leanora change? How does he feel about Leanora now? How is this different than what he felt in the beginning? ______

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10. At the end of the novel, there is a lengthy description of a young buck and his struggles to free himself from blocks of ice. This story has metaphorical meaning. Which character could be interpreted as the young buck? From what trap is he trying to escape? ______

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11. Who is the “ghost” who haunts Merlin Van Tornhout? Do you feel that he is really dead? Explain why or why not, using sound evidence from the novel. ______

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