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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 does Jiya not want to be on the island?

2. Why does Kino sometimes think Jiya is luckier than he is?

3. Even though he does not feel hungry, Jiya's body is _________________ for some food.

4. Which of the following is NOT something that Jiya will experience in his healing process?

5. Jiya will one day be able to live with the fact of his family members being dead by _______________________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Jiya do when he sees the devastation of the big wave?

2. What does Kino's father say about Jiya's crying and what the family will do to let him mourn?

3. Why does Kino's father say they must wait for Jiya?

4. What does Kino learn from his best friend, Jiya, about why the houses in the fishing village do not have windows facing the sea?

5. Summarize the story in The Big Wave.

6. What is Kino's father's response when Kino says he doesn't think that Jiya can ever be happy again?

7. What is at the base of the mountain and why does Kino's father go there?

8. Who is the Old Gentleman and where does he live?

9. What does Kino's father tell him about what the gods do to test men?

10. How does Jiya's awe of an angry sea foreshadow what the sea is ultimately capable of?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the role of the family in the story What does it mean for some of the characters? How does the family evolve in its support of each other? What constitutes a family? Does Jiya make the right family choice for himself? Give examples.

Essay Topic 2

THE BIG WAVE is a classic story of loss and renewal. What does that classification entail? Why does this book fit into this category? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Buck uses more than one instance of irony in the book. Cite at least two examples you can identify in the story and note why they are examples of irony.

(see the answer keys)

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