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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. Due to the violence to which Hector was born into, the narrator says it was inevitable Hector would become what?

2. How old was Hector's grandmother when she moved to the newly formed Coeur d'Alene reservation?

3. What information was carved into Hector's wooden grave marker?

4. Who holds Hector in the photograph the narrator has of him?

5. What did one mourner say white archeologists would do 100 years from now after Hector's grave was buried?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the narrator wish one of his uncle's killers would do after the funeral?

2. What does the narrator say about why he does not know the mourning song his mother "whisper-sang" (3) after the mourners left the cemetery?

3. What does the narrator hopes the Indians who killed his uncle did as they buried him?

4. What does one of the mourners say will happen in 100 years before they leave the cemetery?

5. How does the narrator imagine Hector met his death after leaving for Spokane?

6. Why does the narrator feel certain Hector was most likely killed by a member of his own tribe?

7. Who is Agnes? Why does the narrator have a picture of her?

8. What does the narrator plan to do at the end of the story?

9. Why does the narrator feel certain Hector would not have been killed by a white man?

10. How does the narrator feel at the end of the story standing in the cemetery?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing the narrative structure of "Happy Trails." What effect does this have on the story and the reader? Use direct examples from the story to support your analysis.

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)

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