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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. What is something Nygurski heard?

2. Who arrives and beats Charlie unconscious?

3. Why does Dave end up in jail?

4. Where is Darlene's funeral held?

5. Who moves in with Dave?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens at the lake and what does this incident reinforce to the reader about Dave's personality?

2. How is Dave's lawyer feeling about Dave's case and why?

3. How does Cletus now become a sympathetic character?

4. Why do you think Darlene goes over and takes care of Dave when he is ill?

5. What event foreshadows a future event in the book?

6. What does the Coroner tell Dave and how does Dave know Darlene was probably raped before being murdered?

7. Why is Dave rushing to Cletus' home and what does he find?

8. Why do you think Darlene's does not know much about the American Indian Movement, one of the most controversial and publicized Indian organizations, yet her last name (American Horse) suggests she is Native American?

9. How is it obvious that Dave is starting to feel desperate?

10. What does Dave dream and what might the dream foreshadow?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dixie Lee is involved in a fatal accident while driving and drinking in which a child is killed. Discuss one of the following:

1. Do you think it is just to send Dixie Lee to prison for the reason stated above? What if it is the first DUI? The third?

2. Obviously Dixie Lee does not rehabilitate in prison as he is still drinking. Is prison a place for rehabilitation? If not, should it be? If so, how does it rehabilitate people? Explain fully with examples.

3. If a loved one (either friend, relative, or romantic partner) drinks and drives impaired and kills a child, would you fight to keep that person out of prison? Why or why not? Explain fully with examples.

Essay Topic 2

Dave visits a Blackfeet Indian Reservation to obtain information about possible murder victims. Discuss the following:

1. Why and when were Indian Reservations established? Were they moral? Just?

2. What do you think Indians at the time of the establishment of Reservations felt about them? How do you think modern-day Indians feel about Reservations?

3. How would you feel about living on a Reservation?

Essay Topic 3

The plot of a mystery/detective novel is part of what makes the book successful or not. Discuss the following:

1. What is the basic plot of BLACK CHERRY BLUES?

2. How successful is the author at making the plot believable?

3. How successful is the author at expressing the plot with believable characters and action?

4. Do you think most mystery/detective novels have the same basic plot? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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