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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 disturbing news does Ishi decide to keep from Timawi regarding Timawi's old village?

2. Why does Ishi not tell Elder Uncle or Mother about his visits to Black Rock?

3. What prediction does Mother make about the New Year?

4. After the deaths of Grandfather and Grandmother, what name does Ishi use to refer to himself and the remaining Yahi?

5. Why does Mother allow Tushi to go with Ishi to the beaver den?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Grandfather say to Elder Uncle in order to reassure him after Timawi and Ishi leave?

3. What observations do the older members of the tribe make about Ishi?

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

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

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

7. According to Elder Uncle, why should the Yahi people not mourn for Timawi?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the Yahi world, the spirit world interacts with and influences the world of the living. Explain the ways in which the living are influenced and affected by the spirits. What does this suggest about the Yahi culture? How does this affect the ways in which the Yahi view life? Be sure to include specific examples and evidence to support your explanations.

Essay Topic 2

When Ishi tells Majapa that the Yahi world is dead, Majapa replies, "I think it is not dead. You remember it, and I remember it." Remembering is an important theme in the novel, the memory of experiences, of places, and most importantly of people. Explain how "remembering" teaches and consoles the characters in the novel. Be sure to use specific examples as support.

Essay Topic 3

The novel chronicles most of Ishi's life, and in a way, the reader gets to see him grow up. Trace Ishi's development from boy, man, to "Elder Brother." Explain how different experiences help him grow into a man and mentor. Be sure to provide specific examples and quotations to support your observations.

(see the answer keys)

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