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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. Whose Dream do Ishi and the others follow as they travel into the Yahi world?

2. Once Ishi realizes that his loved ones are no longer wandering, where does he decide to go?

3. How does Ishi decide he will preserve the Yahi Way?

4. Why does Majapa agree to start their journey in Gahma?

5. Where does Ishi go in order to try to find traces of the Lost Ones?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Ishi value about his relationship with the girl that he meets in the arroyo?

2. How does Mother's death affect Ishi?

3. Why is it important for Ishi to teach Maliwal?

4. What does Ishi now believe about the saldu?

5. Why does Ishi choose to return to the museum rather than stay in the Yahi world?

6. How are the men at the museum different from other saldu that Ishi has observed?

7. Which of Ishi's City experiences connect him with Tushi?

8. How is the Stranger who visits Ishi different from the other saldu he has met?

9. How might Ishi's actions following Mother's death be described as a type of symbolic death?

10. What is Ishi searching for when he travels throughout the Yahi world?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rituals are an important part of Yahi life. Describe some of the important rituals and explain their importance to the Yahi. Why does Ishi continue to perform many of these rituals even after he is the last of his people? Why does he choose to share these rituals with others? Be sure to include specific details to support your observations.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Life and death (both literal and symbolic) are important themes in the novel. Many times, Ishi could give up and stop running or he could simply choose to wait for death. Instead, he chooses to continue with his life and be productive and social. Analyze the ways in which Ishi deals with loss (death) and the ways in which he chooses life. Include specific examples and quotations for support.

(see the answer keys)

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