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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 does Mother think the kind saldu wanted to do?

2. Why do Ishi and his family smile when they hear the rush and roar of the wind coming down the canyon?

3. Ishi learns to stay awake for how many nights?

4. What regret about Timawi doe Tushi express to Ishi?

5. What does Ishi assume when he first sees Timawi sitting beneath the tree?

Short Essay Questions

1. What comment does Grandfather make regarding Ishi's eating after he returns from his journey?

2. How do the saldu treat Ishi's village when they discover it?

3. Why does Ishi go the Black Rock?

4. What assurance does Grandmother offer to Mother and Tushi after she realizes they have been crying over her approaching death?

5. How has the relationship between Ishi and Tushi changed since they first came to Wowunupo?

6. How is the Yahi creation story similar to the Judeo-Christian creation story (the creation story of the white man)?

7. What does Tushi refuse to wear the sweetgrass bracelet that Timawi wants to give her?

8. Why does Ishi choose not to kill the snow rabbit?

9. How is Ishi's relationship with Timawi similar to his relationship with Tushi?

10. What does Ishi discover when he returns to the village after he moves Mother?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the importance of family to the characters in the novel. Why is the family important? What sacrifices do characters make for their families, and why? What benefits does the family provide to the individual members? How does the definition of family change throughout the novel? Be sure to include specific examples and quotations to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Journeys are important symbolic motifs in the novel. Analyze the characters' journeys and explain the significance of these journeys. What do the characters gain from their journeys? Why is the journey necessary? Be sure to support your ideas with specific examples and quotations.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Ishi's old life in the Yahi world and his new life with the saldu. How does he adapt to his new life? How does he merge his old life into his new life? Provide specific examples and quotations to support your observations.

(see the answer keys)

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