Question 1

What is the climax of the plot?

Accepted Answer

Gender is clamped to the 50th link and is drowned.

Answer

Gender reads the poem that might be about him.

Answer

Gender is ignored and shunned by other plantation owners.

Answer

The drowned slaves arrive at Gender's plantation.

Question 2

How does the slave Brutus make Gender even more nervous?

Accepted Answer

He tells Gender that he heard there is truth to the slave curse song.

Answer

He delivers the letter saying that Judge Stirling has no intention of letting Gender marry his daughter.

Answer

He tells Gender that there is no power behind the slave curse song.

Answer

He is the first to see the slave curse song on the plantation.

Question 3

What is Gender's perspective towards the other slave owners who cut ties with him?

Accepted Answer

He is shocked that they are bothered by what he has done because they likely have fresh slaves from raided villages.

Answer

He begins to realize how cruel it was to drown the slaves.

Answer

He knows that the can go into Charleston and win back some of his friends.

Answer

He thinks with time they will understand why the song unnerved him enough to drown them.

Question 4

What plot event makes Gender truly question how his murder of the slaves has isolated him?

Accepted Answer

When he writes to challenge Judge Stirling to a duel but knows he can't find a friend to represent him

Answer

When his best friend crossed the street to avoid him

Answer

When Doctor Lockin wrote sermons about hurting defenseless people

Answer

When his request for drinks with Captain Hogue have been refused

Question 5

What can the reader infer about Henry W. Longfellow's poem called "The Witnesses?"

Accepted Answer

The story of Gender's deed has reached Northern colonies, and someone intentionally sent him the newspaper printing of the poem to call out his murder.

Answer

The British Captain did not keep his promise to tell everyone about Gender.

Answer

The story of Gender's deed is only known to the Southern colonies.

Answer

Gender needs to move to the Northern colonies where his deeds are unknown.

Question 6

When Gender first hears the slave curse at his planation, what group of people does he think is to blame?

Accepted Answer

The crew of the ship who Gender did not want to pay

Answer

Other plantation owners showing their disapproval of the drowning

Answer

His slave Brutus playing a trick on him

Answer

His own guilt

Question 7

Why does the author use onomatopoeia with "Scratch-scratch-scratch" on Gender's window?

Accepted Answer

So the reader can feel Gender's terror

Answer

So the reader finds the story entertaining

Answer

So the reader can feel curious like Gender

Answer

So the reader can feel sorrow for Gender

Question 8

What effect does the simile "like the stealthy creeping of a snake over rough lumber" have on the reader?

Accepted Answer

The reader can feel Gender's terror as suspense is built

Answer

The reader feels satisfied Gender is being attacked

Answer

The reader wants Gender to pull himself together and handle the conflict

Answer

The reader feels sorrow for Gender's conflict

Question 9

Which foreshadowing advances the plot early in the text to explain how Gender drowns the chain and how they seek vengeance?

Accepted Answer

The empty 50th chain

Answer

Brutus telling Gender the truth behind the curse song

Answer

The slave curse song

Answer

The English Captain's promise to let everyone know what Gender had done

Question 10

Why does the writer use the simile "as grey as a fish?"

Accepted Answer

To describe the palm of the hand to confirm one of the zombie slaves is attacking

Answer

To show Gender's external conflict with the zombie slaves

Answer

To show Gender's internal conflict regarding his guilt

Answer

To show how the other plantation owners are tricking him into believing in zombie slaves

Question 11

Why does the writer use vivid imagery to describe the face of the shackled slave face peering through his window?

Accepted Answer

So the reader can see/feel why Gender is so terrified

Answer

To the reader can visualize the climax

Answer

So the reader stays engaged with the text

Answer

So the reader feels sympathy for Gender

Question 12

Which simile describes how Gender feels attached to the slave shackles at the end of the story?

Accepted Answer

"separate, yet strung together with a great chain and collar-shackles, like an awful fish on the gigantic line of some demon-angler"

Answer

"not dead, thought it was foully wet, and its thick lips hung slackly open"

Answer

"it sounded like the stealthy creeping of a snake over rought lumber"

Answer

"while he choked and retches at a dreadful odor of death, thick as fog."

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