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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. At one point, Ish considers suicide, but there is one particular reason he decides not to kill himself. What gives Ish the will to live?

2. During Ish's trip to the east, he meets a small family in Arkansas. What are they doing?

3. In Year Sixteen, what do Mary and Ralph decide to do?

4. What event affects the house of Ish's neighbor that Ish refuses to fix?

5. How does Ish first find out about the virus?

Short Essay Questions

1. What event at the end of Chapter 5 both frightens and saddens Ish?

2. Who gave Isherwood his name, and why?

3. Why does Ish worry so much about Evie's state?

4. Has Ish changed over the years? Why?

5. What do Ish and Em have to refill in order to continue on their journey? How do they do this?

6. Do Ish's own children think of Evie the same way that he does?

7. What is one good reason why the Tribe should merge with the other tribe?

8. Is the Tribe well organized? Why or why not?

9. What does the author mean when he talks about certain crops and mankind being interdependent? Is he trying to make a larger statement?

10. How is it significant that many of the people do not sleep in the same location that Ish does?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

It is obvious, throughout the book, that Ish is a thinker and an observer. He comes up with many ideas about what needs to be done and conveys them to the other people around him, but he never seems to put his plans into action. Why do you think he acts this way? What point do you think the author may be trying to show through Ish's behavior?

Essay Topic 2

In the first six chapters of the book, Ish notices that there are certain animals that cannot live without man, while there are others who seem to adapt after awhile. The author makes several comments about these animals throughout the remainder of the book. Do you think that the author is really, in a sense, talking about mankind? If so, what is he saying? If not, what point do you think the author is trying to emphasize?

Essay Topic 3

Several times throughout the text, the author makes a point to show Ish finding places that were once inhabited by Indian tribes and other indigenous people. When Ish and Em start to mark out the time, they do it in the same place, and almost in the same fashion, as ancient peoples. How is this significant?

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This section contains 768 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample