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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. How many sons does Eileen have?

2. Towards what does Juan lead the party?

3. Who does Juan take to find the gold?

4. What is Michael going to do?

5. What does Sean spot in the dirt?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the Mulkerin ranch house.

2. What can be seen from the Mulkerin front porch?

3. What is the situation at the Mulkerin ranch, and what does Eileen think needs to be done about it?

4. Where is Eileen raised and how does she come to be in California?

5. What does Juan say about men following them and what is Sean's response?

6. How does Sean come to be a sailor?

7. How does Sean come to meet Mariana?

8. Where do Eileen and Juan go and what do they talk about as they travel?

9. Why does Juan say he must go with the group, and why must they learn the route?

10. Why does Juan not think there is a reason to share much about his people and their history?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In most fiction, readers would like all the loose ends to be neatly "tied up." Discuss the following:

1. Do you think "The Californios" is successful as a western novel? Why or why not.

2. What about this book would motivate you to read another of Louis L'Amour's western novels? What would discourage you from doing so?

3. Were all the "loose ends" satisfactorily settled for you? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

"The Californios" belongs to the western novel genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the fictional memoir genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think are the differences between western fiction and a southern fiction?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the following:

1. Choose two incidences in "The Californios" and compare/contrast the way Juan's culture and the western, white culture view those incidents.

2. Write an argument/persuasion essay addressing the idea of assimilation versus a group keeping their own culture when they live within a larger culture.

(see the answer keys)

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