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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. Don Juan and Castaneda climb a mountain and Don Juan says they must behave as __________ as possible.

2. When Castaneda asks Don Juan if he is being serious, Don Juan responds that he is being ______________.

3. What flies overhead, making Castaneda laugh without any clear reason?

4. Castaneda can't believe Don Juan takes ____________ as reality.

5. When Carlos Castaneda goes to work with Don Juan Matus, what does he want to study?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Don Juan respond to the statement by Castaneda that he is a Yaqui Indian and he cannot deny that?

2. When Castaneda goes to visit Don Juan in December of 1960, what question does he ask Don Juan upon his arrival?

3. Why is Carlos Castaneda seeking the lessons of Don Juan in this book?

4. Why does Castaneda think Don Juan is crazy, like his friend seems to believe?

5. What does Castaneda think of the way that Don Juan lives?

6. What did Castaneda's father promise to do when he was young, though he never followed through on this promise?

7. What does Don Juan say the wind's identity truly is, rather than just being a part of nature's actions?

8. What does Don Juan say is the reason why Castaneda is not quenched by walking with his fingers curled or of the leaves?

9. What must Castaneda do in order to become accessible to power, according to Don Juan?

10. What does Don Juan have to say about the process of learning about peyote?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The disappearing car is certainly something that takes Castaneda by surprise and it seems to signal a new chapter in his growth.

Part 1: Why do you think the car's disappearance is important to Castaneda's learning?

Part 2: Do you think the car really disappeared? Why or why not?

Part 3: What do you think the lesson of the disappearing car might have been?

Essay Topic 2

One's personal history is something we are accustomed to thinking about, but Don Juan is insistent that people forget this in order to learn and to grow.

Part 1: How does Don Juan define the idea of a personal history? How does this differ from Castaneda's definition?

Part 2: Why is a personal history important to keep sacred?

Part 3: Why might a personal history get in the way of learning and spiritual growth?

Essay Topic 3

Death is something which appears in many forms in this book and Don Juan does not shy away from bringing up death in their training together.

Part 1: Why is it important to acknowledge the presence of death in this story?

Part 2: What can a person do when they acknowledge their own ability to die?

Part 3: Why do you think many people are afraid to acknowledge the possibility of death?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 675 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample