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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. Ishi learns to stay awake for how many nights?

2. What signs of mourning is Ishi wearing when he returns to Tuliyani?

3. Why is Ishi surprised by the saldu who see him while he is fishing?

4. What is Ishi's job in the spring?

5. Why do the Yahi no longer spend the summer on the mountain?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why does Elder Uncle agree to move into the abandoned bear den in spite of his reservations?

3. Why does Ishi go the Black Rock?

4. How do the stories that the Yahi tell about Timawi evolve following his death?

5. How do Elder Uncle and Grandfather begin to prepare Ishi for manhood in Section 5 of "The Moon Seasons?"

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

7. How is Ishi's bow important for his development into manhood?

8. Where does Ishi decide to go on his journey?

9. What does Tushi's dream seem to foretell, and how does Ishi respond to her dream?

10. Why does Elder Uncle say that they should no longer hunt on the mountain next to the village?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Ishi's understanding of war with the description of war that Majapa provides him. Why does he have a difficult time with the concept of war as Majapa describes it? What details trouble him? Why? Be sure to use specific examples and quotations to support your description.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the roles of men and women in the Yahi culture. What expectations are held for women? What expectations are held for men? What might explain the differences in these gender roles? How are men and women each shown respect? Provide examples to support your points.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, Ishi seems to be a pacifist. He is reprimanded in his youth for not killing the saldu who attempts to lasso Tushi, and he is disturbed by the news of the war across the ocean. Trace Ishi's history as a pacifist and explain how this approach to life influences him in later years. Be sure to include specific examples.

(see the answer keys)

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