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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 does William MacDonald feel about the new neighbor?

2. What scent does the female badger encounter and ignore that her mate later smells during Chapter Four?

3. While examining the mouse skull abandoned by the hawk, Ben discovers what?

4. As the book opens, the author says that the name "Winnipeg" originated with which Native American tribe?

5. How does Ben react to seeing the badger Burton caught?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the way in which William and Esther MacDonald planned to find the site for their farm.

2. Why does William think Ben isn't normal, as stated in Chapter One?

3. During dinner in Chapter Five, who does Burton tell John carries badger fangs?

4. Why is Ben so happy at dinner at the end of Chapter Three?

5. Why does William hit Ben when Ben tries to stop him from skinning the badger?

6. What reasons does William give Esther for why he agreed to let Burton run traps on their land?

7. Describe the badger's appearance at the opening of Chapter Two.

8. Describe the den the badger creates for herself and her litter.

9. How do the townspeople of Winnipeg react to the stories of Ben's relationship with animals?

10. Describe Ben's behavior when the family goes inside to dinner and he is left alone with the dead badger's body.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How much of a role does imagery play in the novel? The author spends a lot of time describing nature; would the novel be as effective without these descriptions? Why or why not? Be sure to include supporting information from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Eckert includes some imagery--such as the deaths of animals--that may strike the reader as gruesome and unnecessary. Are these details unnecessary? Or are they essential to the story? What message does the author intend to convey with these descriptions? Is the author heartless? Or is he merely trying to present an accurate picture of nature?

Essay Topic 3

Are Eckert's animals lifelike and believable? Or are they too anthropomorphic to be real? Pick three animals from the story (aside from the badger) and discuss how realistic the animals seem.

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