View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. At the dinner Richard attends, how many other single people are seated at his table?

2. What does Bill say when Richard steals the ball while Bill is dribbling?

3. Why do crowds gather to listen to the man and his wife in "Do Not Go Gentle"?

4. What "dirty secret" does Richard reveal about Indian tribal leaders at the beginning of "Lawyer's League"?

5. What happens to the baby at the end of "Do Not Go Gentle"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What Native American healing traditions do the parents of the dying baby in "Do Not Go Gentle" bring into the hospital?

2. What is the significance of Corliss's referring to her quest for information about Harlan Atwater as a "vision quest"?

3. Why does the father in "Do Not Go Gentle" think his wife is more sorrowful than he is over their son's critical condition?

4. What do Corliss's apartment and the way it is furnished indicate about Corliss?

5. Who is the antagonist in "Lawyer's League" and what helps identify that character as the villain/villainess?

6. What are the similarities between the man and woman who meet after the bombing in "Can I Get a Witness"?

7. Explain how overhearing the other fathers in the hospital bathroom motivates the father in "Do Not Go Gentle."

8. Do you think the woman in "Can I Get a Witness" is thinking clearly after the bombing, or do you think her head injury affects her speech and behavior?

9. What does the opening scene of "The Search Engine" in which Corliss watches the young couple in the student union cafe foreshadow?

10. What is the significance of Harlan Atwater not giving his real name to Corliss?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast any three of the following male characters from the short stories in Ten Little Indians: Harlan Atwater, Richard, the unnamed man in "Can I Get a Witness," the father in "Do Not Go Gentle," William, David, Jackson and Frank Snake Church. Include a discussion of how they are each assimilated into mainstream American culture and how they are affected by Native American culture. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the humor in "Can I Get a Witness?", "Do Not Go Gentle," "What Ever Happened to Frank Snake Church?", or "The Life and Times of Estelle Walks Above." Give at least three examples of humor from your chosen story and discuss what you think Sherman Alexie is trying to convey or achieve through his use of humor.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast three of the following African American characters from Ten Little Indians: William from "Lawyer's League," Fekadu from "Flight Patterns," and Preacher, Russell, or the point guard from "What Ever Happened to Frank Snake Church?" Do the African-American characters treat the Native American characters differently than white characters do? Do the Native American characters feel differently about the African-American characters than they do about the white characters? Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,485 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample