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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 Ishi at first refuse the food and drink that the Sheriff offers him?

2. Why does Ishi go back to Mother instead of following the river to Daha in search of Tushi and Elder Uncle?

3. What is contained in the notebooks that Majapa shows to Ishi?

4. Why is Ishi amazed when the Stranger tells him that they will travel by train?

5. Why does Ishi not disturb the icicles that have formed on the entrance to the cave?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Ishi's first impression of the saldu village?

2. How does Mother's death affect Ishi?

3. How do Ishi's friends show respect for him after his death?

4. How do the Sheriff's actions surprise Ishi?

5. Which of Ishi's City experiences connect him with Tushi?

6. How does spring bring new life to Ishi?

7. What does Ishi value about his relationship with the girl that he meets in the arroyo?

8. How does Majapa comfort Maliwal after Ishi's death?

9. How do Mother and Ishi support each other after they are separated from Elder Uncle and Tushi?

10. Why does Ishi decide to go to the museum with the Stranger?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do Ishi's later experiences with the saldu differ from his experiences as a child and young man? How do these differences influence his decision to live with the saldu? How does his understanding and impression of them change as the novel develops, and how does it remain the same? Be sure to include specific examples to support your points.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the importance of family to the characters in the novel. Why is the family important? What sacrifices do characters make for their families, and why? What benefits does the family provide to the individual members? How does the definition of family change throughout the novel? Be sure to include specific examples and quotations to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, Ishi seems to be a pacifist. He is reprimanded in his youth for not killing the saldu who attempts to lasso Tushi, and he is disturbed by the news of the war across the ocean. Trace Ishi's history as a pacifist and explain how this approach to life influences him in later years. Be sure to include specific examples.

(see the answer keys)

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