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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. Beverly rationalizes his tryst with Lulu after Henry's funeral as:

2. The description of Lulu's work in the kitchen-- filling pots by pointing at them, taking things from the oven that had never been put in--suggests:

3. Eli appeals to June because:

4. To what does Nector compares Marie?

5. Marie will not pray because:

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Beverly's past as a veteran affect his thoughts about Lulu?

2. How does Erdrich describe Gordie's limited perception of reality (caused by his drunkenness)?

3. When June holds her doorknob in the bathroom stall, the author states, "Her room was locked. And she was ready for him now." In what way does the locked room prepare June for Andy?

4. Describe the voice of Lyman Lamartine as narrator.

5. What images of dark and light might symbolize good and bad in "Saint Marie?"

6. Describe Lulu's relationship with Lyman.

7. What does the mood of the chapter suggest about Nector and Marie's future?

8. What effect do the sentence fragments have on events in the chapter?

9. The motif of forgiveness in "Flesh and Blood" comes through most clearly in what two events?

10. What might the eggs Andy peels, and June consumes, represent? What do eggs symbolize?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Considering the saying "You can't go home again," choose any character from Love Medicine and examine their journey. Either agree, disagree, or qualify the aforementioned statement in a thoughtful, thorough essay, using your chosen character and events from their lives as examples.

Essay Topic 2

The stories in Erdrich's novel are sometimes told in first person point of view, and sometimes in third person point of view. Consider the effect this choice has on the reader's understanding of characters and events. Using specific examples, defend or refute Erdrich's choice to vary point of view in her novel.

Essay Topic 3

Erdrich describes many vehicles throughout the novel, often using them to define characters or lifestyles. Choose 3 characters whose vehicles are described in Love Medicine, and explore their representation of characters of events. What ideas does Erdrich reveal through the vehicles her characters own or drive?

(see the answer keys)

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