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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. How much is Abel paid to cut the wood that Mrs. Martin St. John asks him to cut up for her?

2. Tosamah's grandmother was ____________ eight or ten years after the surrender of the Kiowa.

3. The ___________ lasted for days, during which time they prayed and made offerings at the holy places they came to.

4. Abel came upon a(n) ___________ house, a small tower of stone built around a pit, hollow and open at the top.

5. Who had NOT been a witness to the incident with the tank during the war in which Abel was fighting?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who did Ben think never left Abel alone during the two months that he and Abel were friends and things were going well for Abel?

2. Describe the relationship Francisco had with a young girl when he was a younger man.

3. What were some of the things the sun could teach the grandsons about, according to Francisco?

4. Describe the history of the Kiowa, as Tosamah describes it from his own memory and his own experience.

5. Who had Francisco beaten in a race for good hunting and harvests, something which he looks upon fondly?

6. What happened on the night of the memory that Abel recalls about himself and about his brother, Vidal?

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

8. Who went up to the hill to get drunk the night before Abel left for the bus station?

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

10. What did Abel do after realizing that his grandfather had died during a moment when Abel fell asleep?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

It's apparent that the role of spirituality is one that is important, even as it stretches across Walatowa and Los Angeles.

Part 1: Why are the priests so important within the context of the story?

Part 2: How does Father Olguin affect the other characters in this book?

Part 3: How does Tosamah affect others within the context of this story?

Essay Topic 2

The memories that flood back into Abel's mind give the reader a sense of who he was when he was younger, but also a sense of who is is in the present day.

Part 1: Why do you think Momaday decided to write about Abel through the memories he has?

Part 2: Why are memories a good way to get to know someone?

Part 3: Do you think the story would have been stronger if the life story of Abel had been told in a more conventional way? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

The role of alcohol in this story is prevalent, with it changing the lives of all the bottle touches.

Part 1: Why is alcohol something so many people turn to in this story?

Part 2: Why doesn't alcohol seem to help anyone solve their problems?

Part 3: What might the story have been like without the presence of alcohol in the lives of the characters?

(see the answer keys)

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