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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 long does Matt estimate that it will take Attean to learn his lessons?

2. Who is it that apparently appreciates how fond Matt is of molasses and made sure he had some molasses in the cabin?

3. What is the first sign to Matt that something bad has happened to his cabin while he was gone?

4. After the incident with the bees, what is the main source of Matt's pain?

5. What animal does Matt want to be his next target?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Matt deal with his disappointment in not hitting the red squirrel that he sets out to kill for food?

2. How might one evaluate the stories Ben tells of living with the Indians and fighting the French?

3. Why might one argue that Matt underestimates the danger the bees could cause him when he is planning to get some honey?

4. After fishing and managing to catch four fish, how is Matt's good mood quickly ruined?

5. How does Matt intend to deal with his loneliness?

6. Characterize the relationship that develops between Saknis and Matt.

7. The first relationship the reader witnesses is the one between Matt and his father. Describe their relationship.

8. Explain why the reader senses that Matt's rescuer is kind and that Matt is safe.

9. Matt wakes in the morning dreading the task of teaching Attean to read. Explain the reason for this dread and whether it is justified.

10. Why is the absence of the rifle so terrible for Matt?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In The Sign of the Beaver, Saknis, an older Indian, appears to befriend Matt. In addition to Matt's father's teachings, how is it evident that Saknis is a good and trustworthy person?

Essay Topic 2

The Sign of the Beaver certainly explores the plight of the native Americans. Yet there is much the reader learns about "the white man" from Attean. What image of the white frontiersmen emerges from this novel? In other words, how does the image of the white man that Attean speaks of compare or contrast to the actual white men (such as Matt, his father, and briefly, Ben) the reader encounters in the story?

Essay Topic 3

At the beginning of The Sign of the Beaver, Matt is a child in his father's care. Although he has learned the lessons his father and his parents have taught him, discuss the immature side of Matt and give examples of his behaviors or early relations with people that suggest that he is still a child.

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This section contains 852 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample