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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. Families gather at the end of the salmon run to

2. What does the vicar discover will take him many hours in a day?

3. Why doesn't the young man know about his illness?

4. Where is the novel set?

5. Why is the Indian woman wailing outside the vicarage?

Short Essay Questions

1. What recurring idea or image appears as the author describes the state of the village and the graveyard?

2. Describe the setting of the novel.

3. What makes hunting difficult for Mark Brian?

4. What seems to be most important to the Bishop regarding the young man and the Indian village?

5. How does Mrs. Hudson feel about the arrival of the new vicar?

6. What information does Mark learn from the RCMP about Keetah's sister?

7. How do most of the Indians behave toward Mark Brian?

8. What does the Bishop's letter teach Mark Brian about the white man's "problem" with the Indians?

9. What is the significance of Gordon's mask to the tribe?

10. Describe the state of the vicarage.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Consider the role of women in Craven's novel. How do women influence the events of the text? How do they influence Mark Brian? Write an essay in which you determine Craven's attitude toward the women in her novel, using specific characters and events to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Henry Miller said, "Every man has his own destiny: the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him." Consider the roles of fate and destiny in Craven's novel. Then write an essay in which you defend, refute, or qualify Miller's statement, using Mark Brian's journey in the novel as support for your argument. Be sure to use examples from the text to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

The motif of decay appears throughout Craven's novel. How does this motif contribute to her message? Write an essay in which you explore the motif of decay and its relevance to Craven's message, using specific examples from the text to support your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

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