View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is Richardson so excited about the peace child ritual?

2. Why is it so difficult for the Sawi people to convert to Richardson's faith?

3. In 1963 who does the Dutch government begin to give control of the Netherlands New Guinea to?

4. In the Sawi language, how many tenses does each verb have?

5. What do the Sawi people call Jesus?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the phrase "cool water" mean in the Sawi language?

2. What surprises Richardson about the Sawi language?

3. What ritual do the Sawi villagers engage in which inspires the title of this book?

4. Who is God's "Tarop"?

5. How do the Sawi people know that Warahai's soul has left his body?

6. What is the Sawidome?

7. What do the Richardsons conclude about the ongoing violence which they face amid the combined Sawi village communities?

8. Who is Biakadon?

9. What does Richardson promise to teach the Sawi Christians?

10. Why does Carol's warm wash water have black specks in it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The shift of government from the remote Dutch authorities to the more present Indonesian authorities brings tremendous change to the Sawi people. What does Richardson say about that change? How and why is that change so dramatic?

Essay Topic 2

Much of a Sawi person's day is spent gathering or hunting food. Families are mutually dependent upon each other for daily survival. What impact does this type of lifestyle have upon the Sawi family structure? What shape does a typical Sawi family take and is it a stable unit? What examples do you find in the book to support your conclusion?

Essay Topic 3

The world of the Sawi people is very complex and based upon survival needs and a strong structure of family and tribal identity. Write an essay describing some aspect of the complexity that underlies what might seem like a simple hunter/gatherer society. For instance, Richardson finds that the language itself is very sophisticated and nuanced. The system of protection that family ties offer, for instance mother-in-law bonds, is both unique and imaginative. There is symbolism in the clothing, jewelry, and other items that the tribespeople own. Chose some aspect of the Sawi culture and show how there is an underlying sophistication to what might seem "primitive."

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 927 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample