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. What do both Estelle and her son do for a living?

2. What happens to Sharon when she and David are sixty-six years old?

3. How long does the pawnshop owner give Jackson to come back with the money to redeem the regalia?

4. What kind of women are most of Estelle's friends?

5. Where do David and Sharon meet in "Do You Know Where I Am?"

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways is the title "Flight Patterns" related to the story?

2. Describe Estelle's relationship with her son in "The Life and Times of Estelle Walks Above."

3. What are the similarities between Fekadu and William in "Flight Patterns"?

4. Why does Jackson consider himself an "effective" homeless man?

5. Why can't Fekadu return to Ethiopia?

6. How does the title of the story "Do You Know Where I Am?" relate to the story?

7. What is Real Change and how is it involved in Jackson's quest for his grandmother's regalia?

8. In what ways does "Flight Patterns" reflect that it takes place in a post-September 11th world?

9. Why does Estelle's son say he doesn't know what an Indian is supposed to be?

10. What is Jackson's relationship with Kay?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Death is a theme or plot element in numerous stories in Sherman Alexie's Ten Little Indians. Compare and contrast the handling of the subject of death and grief in any three stories from the collection. Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

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

Jackson in "What You Pawn I Will Redeem," Estelle in "The Life and Times of Estelle Walks Above," Corliss in "The Search Engine," Richard in "Lawyer's League," and William in "Flight Patterns" are all Indian characters but they are diverse in their educational, financial, social, and professional statuses. Select any three of these characters and discuss the differences among them. What do you think Sherman Alexie is trying to say about Indians in creating such varied characters to depict Indian life in America? Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,142 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample