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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 did Milly eventually do for her profession, as Abel remembered as he was lying in pain?

2. The A.A. Kaul _________ Company uses the second floor of Tosamah's building as a storage facility.

3. Tosamah's grandmother was ___________ though she had a great appreciation for language and for stories.

4. The men in the prayer circle with Tosamah smoked and ate _____________.

5. The Tai-me is the ___________ doll that belonged to the Kiowas from the time the man found the special creature.

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Abel and Ben meet each other for the first time, as Ben recalls it during a trip down memory lane?

2. What happens when Abel comes off the bus when Francisco comes to pick him up?

3. Describe the creature that Tosamah's grandmother had described in a story about a man who set off to find food for his people.

4. What does Abel do when he sees the bird in the sack after it has been captured?

5. Describe the life of Milly and how Abel recalls it unfolding as he is lying in the ditch, injured and unable to do anything but think.

6. What occurred as a result of Abel's father being an outsider, even though Abel never knew him?

7. What happened during the summer and the autumn rain retreats, according to the stories in the book?

8. What is in the trap that Francisco set a long time ago at the opening of the book?

9. What happened during the incident with Abel and the tank, according to Bowker?

10. What did Father Olguin think caused Abel to kill the albino so many years ago, testifying in court to this being the reason for Abel's actions?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The idea of being different from others seems to affect each of the characters in different ways.

Part 1: How might Abel's life have been different had he not been thought of as foreign?

Part 2: Why do you think foreign is considered to be a bad thing in this book and in the lives of the characters?

Part 3: Do you believe that Abel is bad person? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

During retreats, people would give offerings and pray at various holy places.

Part 1: Why do you think people felt the need to give offerings at the holy places?

Part 2: What might have been some of the offerings you would have left at the holy places?

Part 3: How do you think the offerings to the holy places help the offering person feel about themselves or their lives?

Essay Topic 3

The rain is present at various points in the story, points where there are significant changes for the characters.

Part 1: Why is rain present at the time when Angela and Abel make love?

Part 2: Why do you think rain occurs when Abel leaves Los Angeles to go back to Walatowa?

Part 3: Why is rain present after Francisco dies?

(see the answer keys)

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