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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. When Attean appears with paint on his skin, what does Matt think?
2. After Matt's fun-filled day at Attean's village, how long does Matt wait before he sees Attean again?
3. At the celebration, what story does Attean tell to the villagers that are assembled?
4. At the beginning of Chapter 15, what animal does Matt successfully kill with his bow and arrow?
5. What does Matt temporarily "lose" in the gambling game he plays with the Indian boys?
Short Essay Questions
1. Even though they are husband and wife, why do Saknis's feelings about the white man differ from the feelings of Attean's grandmother?
2. After a day of hard play in the Indian village, Matt is physically sore but content. Explain these two apparently contradicting feelings.
3. Why is it ironic that Matt wonders how the Great Spirit that the Indians worship seem to be like the Indians themselves--i.e. a mighty hunter, very strong?
4. As Matt misses his family and Christmas nears, how do his memories work for him?
5. What evidence is there that Matt's relationship with the Indians fulfilled a familial longing?
6. How is Matt and Attean's use of each other's language symbolic of their relationship?
7. How does Matt's reaction to the cleanup being relegated to squaws indicate that he is more accepting of cultural differences?
8. How do the setting and details that the author uses to describe autumn work to match Matt's mood when he recognizes that his family is past due?
9. Attean tells Matt that it is the white man who introduced metal traps to the Indians. What does the trap symbolize to Attean?
10. How does such a violent act as killing a bear bring Matt and Attean into a relationship that for the first time seems like a friendship?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Why is Attean's explanation of the manitou and Matt's understanding and concern for it a significant turning point in their relationship?
Essay Topic 2
Attean does not seem to understand Matt's concept of land ownership and he dismisses treaties that his people had with the white men as worthless. How then does he come to have a different opinion of the markings that tribes put on trees to designate their hunting grounds. How is this concept different from the ownership Matt understands?
Essay Topic 3
The wilderness is the setting of the novel, The Sign of the Beaver. In this novel, the wilderness is more than a backdrop for the action; it is a force. Discuss how the wilderness as it is described various times in the novel has the power to challenge, to motivate, to please, and to frighten characters. Use at least three specific examples from the text to show the role the wilderness plays in this novel.
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This section contains 819 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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