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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. Who attended Hector's wake?

2. How long did the mourners stay awake during Hectors wake?

3. What is the narrator sure Hector would have done if he were still alive?

4. What does the narrator say was the best part of Hector's funeral?

5. How does the narrator feel Hector died?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the narrator say people have a tendency to aggrandize the dead?

2. What does he say was the saddest thing said about Hector?

3. What does the narrator's mother say about Indian self help books?

4. Who is Hector in relation to the narrator? When was the last time the narrator has seen him?

5. What does the narrator's mother say when he suggests they bury Hector? How does the narrator reply?

6. Describe the narrator's relationship with his female cousin whom he describes as gorgeous.

7. What type of person does the narrator say Hector was? How old would he be if he were alive? What does the narrator think Hector would be like?

8. What does the narrator say was the best part of the funeral?

9. Who does the narrator live with? Why do other Indians not judge him for this?

10. When the narrator's mother says Hector was a good man, the narrator says he was great. Does he really believe Hector was great? How do you know?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about the author of "Happy Trails." Who is he? What else has he written? How is "Happy Trails" similar or different from his other works?

Essay Topic 2

Write a brief essay about the significance of the narrator's relationship with his cousin on the story. How does this relationship move the plot?

Essay Topic 3

Write a detailed analysis of tone in Alexie's "Happy Trails." Include whether the tone changes or remains the same. If it changes, include details on when, why and whether this change is effective.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 670 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample