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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 is cholera?

2. How do Naduah, Bear Cub, and Wanderer decide to deal with the spread of white man's disease?

3. Who is Elder James Parker?

4. Why do Comanche boys go on vision quests?

5. What causes the journey back from Plum Creek to be so difficult on young warriors like Upstream?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Wanderer convinces the mayordomo of a New Mexico Indian tribe he must do?

2. What does Old Owl's actions in the face of pressure from the white people to return Bear Cub say about his strengths as a leader?

3. Why does Wanderer struggle with the decision to leave Naduah in order to rejoin his father's band in the North?

4. How does Naduah find herself a captive of the white man? Who led them to Naduah, therefore fulfilling his promise to Wanderer?

5. What is significant about the man Naduah kills during a raid by white soldiers?

6. How does Old Owl die? What happens to his remains?

7. By whom is Naduah spotted during a raid by the Noconi? What happens as a result?

8. Why is Naduah angry when Wanderer returns to the Wasp in order to find a wife?

9. Why is Naduah afraid of a group of white traders who come to the Naconi camp?

10. What promise does Placido make when he faces Wanderer during a raid by white soldiers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Bear Cub comes to the conclusion that the time of the Indians is coming to an end. Is he right? How has Indian life changed over the years the Parkers have been with the Comanche? What has caused this change? Could the Indians have done something to prevent this? Could the white man? Why did the younger Indians resist moving to the reservations so much? What happened on the reservations? Would these have been better places for the Comanche? Could it have prevented starvation and death? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following elements of the novel:

1) Setting

2) Point of view

3) Structure.

Essay Topic 3

Who is Rachel? How is Rachel treated by her Indian captives? For what reason do they treat Rachel in this way? Why is there such a contrast between the way Rachel is treated and the way the Parker children are treated? Are the Parkers treated so different because they are children? What might have happened to Cynthia if she had been a few years older? Why is Rachel's child killed? How does she feel about this? Why does Rachel blame her husband for not rescuing her sooner? What might Rachel's husband have done?

(see the answer keys)

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