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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 does Ooota suddenly do and just assume that the author will follow in suit?

2. What does the man who reads the author's palm say about about the birth of the person she will meet'?

3. Where is the author taken to watch the natives perform?

4. What does the young man tell Tribal Elder that he has found and killed and is preparing to bring it back to the tribe?

5. Where does the setting of the book take place?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the author give herself the talent-name of "Dung-Collector"?

2. Why does the tribe separate into two groups?

3. What do The Real People believe that illness and/or injury is really an opportunity for?

4. Why is the author invited to move to Australia to work?

5. What kind of acceptance ritual occurs as they all prepare to sleep?

6. How is Great Stone Hunter healed?

7. What do the tribe members reveal about their names?

8. What is the one experience in Australia that has made the author unhappy?

9. Desribe the journey Marlo is about to undertake?

10. Why does the author end up buried in the sand?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the role of animals in MUTANT MESSAGE DOWN UNDER? Describe how animals have messages of their own to share with the Aboriginal people and the Mutants. In what ways do the animals help to dismantle the fear in the author? Discuss the slayed camel, the snakes, and other animals relative to the story.

Essay Topic 2

Define the literary genre: Memoir. Discuss the 3 major ways in which Memoir differs from fiction and non-fiction. Next, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Memoir. Is this current trend something that is attracting bloggers, diary writers, and other such writers to the field? When is a Memoir considered a literary work of art?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the healing of Great Stone Hunter and how the bone in his leg slid back into place after chanting and hymns. What other religions and cultures advocate this type of healing? (i.e. Christian Science, Native Americans, etc). How would Western Medicine respond to this type of healing? Is it a sham? Is it considered a dangerous way of thinking and naive hope? Are there any valid points to this type of healing? Tie in as many examples as possible and compare them with dialogue from the book.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 747 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample