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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. Out of what did the old male Indians whittle toothpicks?

2. What does Tayo eat as he is walking back to Ts’eh’s house?

3. What does Emo suggests the men do since they fought a white man’s war and still are stuck on a dried up reservation?

4. How does Harley get a mirror outside the Y bar?

5. Where does Ulibarri live?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Betonie tell Tayo about change and trust?

2. Why do the two ranch hands leave Tayo alone?

3. What does Tayo think about the cattle in the book compared to his uncle’s cattle?

4. How does Rocky and Auntie feel about Josiah’s decision on how to take care of the cattle?

5. Why does Tayo feel guilty about Josiah?

6. Why does Tayo attack Emo?

7. Where are Tayo and Rocky sent, what kind of problem does Tayo have there and what does Rocky do to try and help Tayo?

8. How does Tayo start herding the cattle?

9. Of what does Tayo dream as he and Robert prepare for winter? What does Tayo decide to do because of the dreams?

10. What does the woman tell Tayo when she sees him again and what is his response?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss what you think are the characteristics of a successful novel and why Ceremony is or is not a successful novel based on your criteria. Do you think the criteria for a successful novel should be different if it is written for adults versus young adults?

Essay Topic 2

Ceremony belongs to the Native American fiction genre.

Define the literary term "genre" and name three other genres in addition to the Native American fiction genre. What are the advantages and disadvantages of assigning a genre to a novel? What do you think is the difference between a Native American fiction and a science fiction novel or a mystery?

Essay Topic 3

One of the themes of the story is that white people are alien, they are not superior, as is commonly thought, and do not dictate cultural morés to the Native Americans.

Discuss the reasons the Indians might have viewed white people as alien or strange and how some of that viewpoint changed during the course of Ceremony. Use examples from Ceremony to support your response.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 958 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample