Livaudais 2014

“The Prologue and “The River” Reading Quiz

  1. In the “Prologue”, what can be inferred about Dana based on the statement below?

“I lost an arm on my last trip home. My left arm. And I lost about a year of my life and much of the comfort and security I had not valued until it was gone.”

  1. Dana has been through a tragedy that has left her fearful and insecure
  2. Dana is the victim of domestic abuse by her husband
  3. Dana went on a trip around the world and was injured on boat
  4. Dana ran away from home as an abused teenager
  1. What is the tone in the “Prologue?”
  2. Angry and hostile
  3. Scared and confused
  4. Joyous and celebratory
  5. Loving and concerned
  1. In “The River,” what assumptions can be made about the mother of the boy, Rufus?
  2. That she is a cold woman who cares nothing for her child
  3. That she is a careless mother who doesn’t watch her child
  4. That she is a weak, helpless woman who babies her child
  5. That she is an intelligent woman of wealth
  1. When Dana turns around after a man says, “What the devil’s going on here?” what did she see?
  2. A minister carrying a large Bible
  3. An orderly with several vials of psychiatric medication
  4. A vicious dog prepared to attack
  5. The barrel of the longest rifle she had ever seen pointed at her
  1. What similarities exist between the police in the Prologue and Rufus’s father in “The River?”
  2. They are both concerned about Dana’s welfare and ability to heal
  3. They are both confused by Dana’s willingness to help others
  4. They are both aware that Dana is a dangerous woman
  5. They are both aggressively hostile in situations they do not understand
  1. Which of the following does Dana NOT mention as a fear she has following her experience?
  2. She is worried because she doesn’t know exactly what happened.
  3. She is worried because she feels like it could happen again.
  4. he fears Rufus’ father will harm her.
  5. She fears that Kevin will beat her because she can’t clearly explain what happened.

“The Fire” Reading Quiz

  1. What is significant about the setting that is revealed to Dana in “The Fire?”
  2. It is far away from California
  3. It is a non-slave state
  4. It is a slave state
  5. It is where Dana’s parent live
  1. Based on his description of Alice, what can be inferred about Rufus?
  2. As a child, he lacks the prejudice of many white men of his time
  3. As a child, he is as ruthless as his father about slaves
  4. As a child, he doesn’t understand the differences between whites and blacks
  5. As a child, he thinks he will marry Alice and live happily ever after
  1. How does the characterization of Rufus develop the theme of the novel?
  2. His ruthlessness towards Dana and Alice prove that slavery creates monsters of children
  3. His casual use of racial slurs combined with his affection for Alice show that racism is based on ignorance and tradition
  4. His lack of caring about his mother’s feelings shows that women are unfairly treated as inferior to men
  5. His desire to use patrollers to run down Alice’s father proves that slavery treats women better than men
  1. Dana witnesses all of the following happen EXCEPT…
  2. A black man, woman, and little girl were practically thrown out of a cabin.
  3. The man and woman were savagely punched.
  4. The little girl cried against her mother’s leg while watching her father get whipped.
  5. The little girl was murdered by the patroller.
  1. How does the scene between Alice and the patrollers develop the theme?
  2. It uses characterization to prove that slaves need discipline
  3. It uses imagery to show that only poor uneducated white abused slaves
  4. It uses dialect to show that slaves are ignorant and trouble makers
  5. It sets the tone of violence and fear between blacks and whites
  1. What is the connection between Dana and Alice?
  2. Alice is Dana’s mother
  3. Alice is Dana’s great-aunt
  4. Alice is Dana’s ancestor
  5. There is no connection between Dana and Alice
  1. What is significant about Dana’s fear for her life?
  2. It is the vehicle by which she can return to the present
  3. It proves that Dana can be killed in the past
  4. It proves that she can change the future
  5. There is nothing significant about her fear

“The Fall” Reading Quiz

  1. In the beginning of “The Fall” what is the effect of calling the temporary workers’ pool a ‘slave market?’
  2. It shows that slavery still exists in California in Dana’s present time
  3. It shows how hard the temporary workers are made to work
  4. It creates imagery of the harsh working environment that Dana is in
  5. It makes an ironic connection between Dana’s present and the past she visits
  1. What is the effect of Buz’s teasing Dana about Kevin and herself, yelling out “Chocolate and vanilla porn?”
  2. It foreshadows the hostile reaction Dana and Kevin will receive in the past
  3. It demonstrates that interracial relationships are allowed in the future
  4. It characterizes Buz as a future slave owner
  5. It enhances the theme that women are still treated as property
  1. Why is this section titled “The Fall”?
  2. Dana falls from the sky when she is transported.
  3. It takes place during the fall season, after Tom Weylin is killed.
  4. Rufus is pushed out of his bedroom window by Nigel.
  5. Rufus falls out of a tree and breaks his leg.
  1. How do Dana and Kevin convince Rufus they are from the future?
  2. They show him a map of modern America
  3. They tell him about the year that the Mets won the World Series
  4. They show him a coin stamped from a future year
  5. They tell him about airplanes and automobiles
  1. What does Tom Weylin’s reaction to his son’s accident reveal about his character?
  2. He is a caring father who only wants his son to be better educated and more careful
  3. He is an evil man who distrusts everyone, including his son, and looks for ways to hurt his son
  4. He has a superior view of himself and looks down on people who he views as less than himself
  5. He is a high class gentleman who is free with his money and willing to help people in need
  1. What do Dana’s reactions to Rufus reveal about her character?
  2. That she is actually racist against white people and wishes she had never married Kevin or saved Rufus
  3. That she feels hatred of her own slave roots and wishes to be as white as the Weylins and Kevin
  4. She doesn’t like children and resents Rufus’s intrusion into her life because children are dirty and mean
  5. She feels conflicted between her desire to protect a child and her hatred of the racial prejudice that Rufus displays
  1. How does Tom Weylin’s resentment of Dana’s education develop the novel’s theme?
  2. Her education proves that slaves can be just as successful as whites if given the opportunity
  3. Her flaunting her education proves that black people cannot handle a solid education and should remain uneducated
  4. Weylin’s resentment shows that white people are actually less intelligent than black people and should be the ones enslaved
  5. Her education proves that women are far superior to men and Tom Weylin dislikes all women
  1. Based on the description of Margaret Weylin in the following passage of “The Fall” what can be inferred?

“But Margaret Weylin still rushed everywhere. She had little or nothing to do. Slaves kept her house clean, did much of her sewing, all her cooking and washing. ..So Margaret supervised- ordered people to do work they were already doing, criticized their slowness and laziness even when they were quick and industrious, and in general, made trouble.”

  1. Margaret was a very busy woman who had little time for her child
  2. Slavery is an institution that made both white and black people miserable
  3. Women ruled the house and were more important than the men
  4. Margaret had bad slaves who refused to do their work
  1. What is the significance of the author’s continued emphasis on reading?
  2. It emphasizes the importance of learning on self-awareness and the ability to make choices
  3. The author wants people to read more of her books
  4. It emphasizes the superiority of white people over the slaves
  5. It proves that women should continue to strive to have their girl children educated
  1. Why does it bother Dana that the children are playing slave market?
  2. Dana dislikes children and resents their presence
  3. It proves a reality that Dana is trying to deny
  4. It reinforces at a young age that slavery is acceptable
  5. The children will be whipped for playing the game
  1. What does Weylin do when he finds out that Dana has been teaching the slaves in the cookhouse to read?

a. He sells her to a slave trader.b. He sends her to prison.

c. He tried to shoot her.d. He whips her.

“The Fight” Reading Quiz

  1. How does the author’s choice of structure for this selection impact its clarity?
  2. By starting the selection with Dana and Kevin’s impending marriage, it draws parallels between modern America and slavery times
  3. By starting the selection in the ‘present,’ it demonstrates Dana’s willingness to abandon Kevin to the past
  4. By starting the selection with Rufus’s wedding, it proves that Dana is no longer needed to keep Rufus safe
  5. By starting the selection with Dana and Kevin’s marriage, it proves that racism no longer exists in Modern America
  1. What is the effect of the following quotation: “As I thought of the field hand, I felt strangely disoriented. For a moment, I thought Rufus was calling me again. Then I realized that I wasn’t dizzy – only confused. My memory of a field hand being whipped seemed to have no place here with me at home.”
  2. The disoriented imagery proves that Dana is not sane and the entire memory is something she made up
  3. The contrast between past and present creates a vivid image that allows the reader to share same confusion Dana feels
  4. The imagery of the field hand foreshadows danger in the present that Dana will experience
  5. The comparison of Dana and the field hand enhances the theme that women are not as strong as men
  1. What lie does Dana convince Rufus to tell about how he got hurt?
  2. He fell out of a tree.
  3. He got into a fight with a slave.
  4. He was attacked by white men.
  5. He was knocked unconscious and doesn’t remember anything.
  1. How does the following description of Tom Weylin develop the theme?

“His father wasn’t the monster he could have been with the power he held over his slaves. He wasn’t a monster at all. Just an ordinary man who sometimes did monstrous things his society said were legal and proper.”

  1. The description shows that not all slaveowners were bad and that slavery isn’t as bad as history shows
  2. The description shows that men in the 1800s were merely following the law
  3. The description shows that slavery made monsters of people who would have otherwise not been bad people
  4. The description shows that Tom Weylin was especially evil to his slaves in comparison with other slaveowners of the time
  1. If Rufus lived in Dana’s time he would have wanted to do what?

a. Buy a corvette and go to Harvard

b. Have many slaves and own a large plantation

c. Marry Alice

d. Marry Dana

  1. In “The Fight” what does the map symbolize?
  2. Freedom
  3. America
  4. Kevin
  5. Slavery
  1. Why is Dana concerned about Rufus reading the book that contains a history of slavery?
  2. It could get Rufus whipped by his father
  3. It could put leaders of the Abolition movement and Underground Railroad in jeopardy
  4. Rufus might give the book to Nigel
  5. Rufus might tell Kevin that Dana is giving him gifts
  1. Throughout this section, how does the dog motif develop the theme?
  2. The dogs illustrate the pointlessness of running away from a master
  3. The dogs enhance the idea of the brutality of slavery
  4. The dogs prove that certain types of animals are dangerous
  5. The dogs show that men are superior to women
  1. How does the author create tension in this section of “The Fight”?
  2. She creates a love/relationship triangle between Rufus, Dana, and Alice
  3. She creates a sense of displacement when Kevin goes back to the future
  4. She creates a tone of empathy for Alice
  5. She creates a gloomy, dangerous setting for Nigel
  1. Why does Dana run away to find Kevin?
  2. Rufus beat her with a whip
  3. Tom Weylin tries to marry her off to a slave
  4. Dana found her Rufus didn’t send her letters
  5. Dana found out Kevin married a white woman
  1. . Why does Rufus say that he didn’t help Dana contact Kevin?
  2. He doesn’t want Kevin to come and take Dana to the North.

b. He is afraid that his father would find out.

  1. He is sick and cannot leave the plantation.
  2. He knows it would make the other slaves jealous.
  1. At the end of the “The Fight,” what does Rufus do that transports Dana and Kevin back to 1976?
  2. He points a gun at them.
  3. He poisons Dana.
  4. He pushes them off a ledge.
  5. He shoots Kevin.

“The Storm”

  1. What does the author suggest with the changes in Dana and Kevin they realize when they return to their own time?
  2. Spending time in the past shaped Dana and Kevin’s personalities and sense of right/wrong
  3. That the 1800s was a better time to live and Kevin and Dana would prefer to live with Rufus
  4. Kevin and Dana are happier now because there is no racism in their current time
  5. Being born white or black determined Dana and Kevin’s sense of right/wrong no matter what they experienced
  1. How does the change in the previous question relate to the overall theme of the novel?
  2. That race/birth proves that black people are morally better than white people
  3. That racism is no longer an issue in the late 1900s
  4. That simpler times lead to a better way of life, and cities are corrupt
  5. That social rules of right and wrong are stronger than personal morals
  1. How does Dana find Rufus when she time travels at the beginning of “The Storm”?
  1. He is drunk and lying face down in a puddle.
  2. He is stuck outside during a bad storm.
  3. He is trapped under a fallen tree.
  4. He is whipping Nigel for trying to escape.
  1. Why does Rufus sell Sam and his family?
  1. He is afraid Sam will start a rebellion
  2. He is angry because Sam tried to kiss Margaret
  3. He is jealous and thinks Sam is sleeping with Dana
  4. He wants revenge when he finds out Sam killed his father
  1. What do the many deaths in this section accomplish?
  2. It points out the ineffectiveness of 1800s medicine
  3. It proves that Dana is a bad doctor
  4. It shows that there is no hope for anyone
  5. It shows that slaves should have been bled more often to cure them
  1. Why does Dana write letters for Rufus when she refused to write for Kevin?
  2. Dana likes to do work for Rufus but resents that Kevin needs help
  3. Rufus doesn’t know how to read or write, but Kevin does
  4. Writing for Rufus allows Dana to write letters of freedom for Alice and her children
  5. Writing for Rufus may save the slaves, while writing for Kevin was just lowly work
  1. How does the author’s point of view differ from what is directly stated? “You’ll care. And you’ll help me. Else, you’d have to see yourself for the white nigger you are, and you couldn’t stand that.”
  2. The author doesn’t believe being a good person has anything to do with the color of skin
  3. The author believes that being around white people too much is being a traitor to black people
  4. The author believes that slaves should have risen up against their owners regardless of the price
  5. The author believes that slaves should do whatever they have to in order to survive
  1. What does Alice mean when she says “he uses those children just the way you use a bit on a horse. I’m tired of havin’ a bit in my mouth.”
  2. Alice is being used like a horse in the fields and she is tired of it
  3. Alice doesn’t want Rufus to use her children as a way to control her anymore
  4. Alice doesn’t like the way the overseer is using her children in the fields
  5. Alice is tired of her children and wants Rufus to sell them
  1. What changes Margaret Weylin’s personality near the end of the novel?
  1. She becomes friends with Sarah.
  2. She begins taking opium.
  3. She misses her husband.
  4. She wants Rufus to favor her.
  1. How does Dana transport back to 1976 at the end of “The Storm”?
  1. She fights with Rufus.
  2. She jumps from a second story window.
  3. She slits her wrists.
  4. She starves herself.

The Rope and The Epilogue