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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. How old was Isaac when his parents were killed in a car wreck?

2. What did Koi Chitto bring Shell Shaker after hunting with the Alibamu Conchatys and Red Fox warriors?

3. What are the Shakbatina or Shell Shakers for the Choctaw people?

4. When was Red Shoes assassinated?

5. When was the Casino of the Sun built by the Choctaw Nation?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Shakbatina to be executed?

2. Where does Auda live, and what brief history of the place does the narrator provide?

3. When Isaac cannot work at his newspaper office, what does he do?

4. What jobs has Tema had, and why did she become an actress?

5. How did Adair make her reputation in 1985 in her work?

6. What happened to Tuscalusa and those who went to meet the invader, Hispano de Soto?

7. Why is there a fire in Chapter 2?

8. What terrible story reached Grandmother's town?

9. Why did Auda and her mother have an argument about Red McAlester in 1983?

10. What was life like when Shakbatina's grandmother was young?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Personification is a type of figurative language that assigns human characteristics to inanimate objects. How does the author use personification in the book? How does the use of personification assist readers in imagining scenes and objects?

Essay Topic 2

In the novel, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the story line? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 3

Allusions are figures of speech used when an author mentions a person, place, or thing, but does not provide background information about the person, place, or thing. What are some allusions that the author uses in the book? Is research required to understand the allusions the author makes? Does the use of allusions make understanding what is happening difficult?

(see the answer keys)

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