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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. Who wants to spend the night on the island?

2. Which of the following is NOT something Kino's father will do for Jiya when he awakens?

3. Why do Kino and Jiya cling to Kino's father?

4. Where does Jiya think he is when he awakens?

5. Who is the prettiest girl Jiya has ever seen?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Kino's father say about how Jiya will recover one day and how he will carry his deceased family members with him?

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

3. How does Jiya feel when his new family encourages him to sit at the table and eat with them?

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

5. What had Kino's father told him about the necessity for Jiya to eat in order to heal?

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

7. Why do Kino and his family surround Jiya as he begins to awaken?

8. How does Kino understand that Jiya's father is even afraid of the sea?

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

10. What does Kino want to do with Jiya after they eat dinner?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain what Kino's father means when he says that life is stronger than death? In what ways is this phrase exhibited in the story?

Essay Topic 2

THE BIG WAVE is a classic coming of age story. 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)

This section contains 823 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample