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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 does Iza give Ayla before the mammoth hunt?

2. Who is the Clan's spiritual leader?

3. How many days transpire between a clan child's birth and naming day?

4. Why does Droog allow Ayla to watch him make the tools for the mammoth hunt?

5. What painkilling bark does Iza give Ayla for her fever and painful scratches?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the punishment for a woman who touches a weapon?

2. What does the clan do with deformed babies?

3. Why does Brun decide to make the death curse temporary?

4. What does Ayla focus on once cursed with death?

5. Why is the clan traveling?

6. What does Creb realize about Durc?

7. What leads the clan to find the girl?

8. What does Ayla think about what Iza told her before she died?

9. Why does Brun send Ayla to find Creb when he falls behind on the journey home?

10. What does Broud envision about the combined cave ceremony and his manhood ceremony?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The clan incorporates a rich religious life in their culture and society.

Part 1) What are some of the elements of the clan's religion?

Part 2) How do these elements of the clan's religion enhance the novel?

Part 3) Compare and contrast Bear Ceremony to something in our culture, either a religious ceremony, or a similar secular event.

Essay Topic 2

The differences between the Others and the clan are an important theme of the novel.

Part 1) How do these differences influence the story?

Part 2) How do the clan members perceive Ayla? How does being around them influence her perception of herself?

Part 3) What do the Others symbolize to the clan? Be sure to cite examples from the novel.

Essay Topic 3

What role do the totem spirits play in the lives of the clan? How do their beliefs regarding the spirits affect their acceptance of Ayla? How does Ayla challenge their beliefs? Write an essay about three specific points in the story where the totem spirits play a role.

(see the answer keys)

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