View a FREE sample

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. What issue does the narrator say Hector suffered from at the time of his disappearance?

3. What killed the narrator's father?

4. What were the causes of death for the narrator's aunts and uncles?

5. How many of the narrator's cousins are in prison?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. 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?

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

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

6. What does the narrator decide they should do 40 years after Hector disappeared?

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

8. Describe the conversation between the narrator and his mother about whether Hector is alive or not.

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

10. What does the narrator suggest may have happened to Hector as he hitchhiked to Spokane?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define setting and discuss the significance of Alexie's choice of the reservation and cemetery as setting in the story. How is setting used? Why is it important?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the authors "best moments" discussed in the story. Why do you think he incorporates these into the story? How does it impact the tone and mood of the story? How does it impact your reading?

Essay Topic 3

Write a brief essay analyzing the title "Happy Trails." Explore the ways in which this title connects to the plot and themes of the story.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 643 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample