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

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

3. How long ago did the narrator's father die?

4. How old was the narrator when he had his first kiss?

5. Where was Hector's coffin taken after the funeral?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where was Hector's casket buried? What does the narrator say about the Coeur d'Alene Catholics?

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

3. What does the narrator say his mother does which made her "good at funerals" (2)?

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

5. 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?

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

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

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

9. What does the narrator say of the family he has lost, his aunts, uncles, cousins and father and those who are still living in paragraph 2 of "Happy Trails"?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing Alexie's commentary on Native American History in "Happy Trails." How is this history important to the story? How does it affect the narrative? Use textual evidence to explain your analysis.

Essay Topic 2

Genre is a category assigned to a literary work, like a novel. What are some genres that could be used to classify "Happy Trails"? What is the main genre of the story? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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