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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. As Chapter 5 begins, Chee goes to visit his predecessor. Whom does Chee visit?

2. Whose tombstone stands just off from the Vines' garage?

3. How long has Colton Wolf been paying the man who sent Wolf the letter?

4. Whose brother was killed in the explosion at the oil well?

5. As the bacteriologist watches, a dirty truck parks illegally in the lot. What space does the truck pull into?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to what Chee learns from his predecessor, why did a group of roustabouts not go to work on the day the explosion occurred?

2. According to what Vines tells Chee, who does B.J. Vines believe is responsible for the oil well explosion and why?

3. Why does Wolf's employer send Wolf to the university campus?

4. According to what Charley tells Chee, what is contained in the missing box?

5. Describe the second person who illegally parks the car in the parking lot while the bacteriologist watches from her window.

6. According to what Chee learns while visiting his predecessor, how did the People of Darkness get their name?

7. When asked by Chee, why does B.J. Vines claim that Sena dislikes Vines?

8. As the reader is first introduced to Jim Chee, why does Jim Chee not have his winter coat with him?

9. According to what B.J Vines tells Chee, why does Vines believe the box was stolen?

10. After Rosemary questions Chee on how well he knows Navajo "religion," what does Rosemary ask if Chee knows anything about?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, Jim Chee is struggling with the decision whether to remain in the Navajo world or to join the white man's world and accept a position with the FBI. Compare and contrast these two worlds. How are these two worlds regarded by Chee? What do these worlds provide for Chee? How is the story affected by Chee's relationship with each world?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the course of the novel, Hopi and Navajo traditions abound. In fact, these traditions and rituals become a main reason behind the story's plot. Identify at least three different Hopi or Navajo traditions that affected the plot and the lives of the characters involved in the story. For each instance, describe the ritual, the characters involved, and the way Hopi or Navajo traditions affected the story's plot. How might the story have been different if these traditions had not been a part of the plot? Explain your reasoning.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the characteristics, roles, loyalties, and agendas of the following people in the story: Jim Chee, Henry Becenti, Gordo Sena, and B.J. Vines.

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