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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 did Brennan think was the reason the kids were so bad?

2. How does Brennan feel about his father?

3. What does the event in question #1 mark for Coyote Runs?

4. How are the buildings arranged at Fort Bliss?

5. What are two activities Brennan's mother became involved in that he managed to avoid?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Brennan do immediately with skull and what is his guess about it?

2. Where does Coyote Runs go after Magpie is shot, what has happened to him and his horse? How does that affect what he does?

3. Why is Brennan annoyed while riding in the van? How does he feel about being there?

4. Why can't Brennan sleep and why does he dig a skull out of the dirt?

5. What does Brennan notice as he is arriving at his house in Chapter 2?

6. What is Coyote Runs told to do on the raid?

7. What was the school Coyote Runs' attended suppose to do for him?

8. Where does the van in which Brennan is riding stop and then what do they do?

9. What does Coyote Runs learn he will be doing soon and which of his friends will be doing it also?

10. What happens to Coyote Runs in the chaos after the raid?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Characters are an important part of what makes Canyons interesting. Discuss the following characters:

1. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Brennan. What are his strengths? His weaknesses? How does he contribute to the plot? Is he a sympathetic character? Is he always likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

2. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Coyote Runs. What are his strengths? His weaknesses? How does he contribute to the plot? Is he a sympathetic character? Is he always likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

3. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Brennan's mother. What are her strengths? Her weaknesses? How does she contribute to the plot? Is she a sympathetic character? Is she always likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Brennan is no exception. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze situations when Brennan demonstrates his intelligence and good work ethic. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Brennan's character flaws offering specific examples of these flaws in your discussion.

3. Discuss how you think Brennan's admirable traits makes him do what he does with the skull. Have his flaws impacted his life? How do his flaws influence his handling of the skull?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze one major theme of Canyons. Consider the following: How does one character's actions portray the theme you are analyzing? How does the setting contribute to that theme? Is the theme one that you would call a "universal theme"? If so, what other book or novel that you have read also includes this theme. If not, why don't you think it is a "universal" theme?

2. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of Canyons. How does one character's actions portray the themes you are analyzing? How does the setting contribute to those themes? Is each theme one that you would call a "universal theme"? If so, what other book or novel that you have read also includes this theme. If not, why don't you think it is a "universal" theme?

3. What benefit is there in discussing and analyzing the themes of a work of fiction? Do you think most authors consciously develop themes in their works? Why or why not? Can there be accidental themes? What do you think is one possible "accidental" theme in Canyons? Which theme in Canyons speaks to you the most in your life? Why?

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