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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. What game does Hugo play?

2. What kind of plant does Crystal have in her house?

3. What kind of grass had grown on the Geist farm of old?

4. With what is the cake at Kismet’s second wedding reception filled?

5. At what temperature (°C) can bone be treated for use to bleach sugar?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Gary and his father relate to one another?

2. Why does Jeniver note Crystal’s case will be difficult?

3. What do Hugo and Kismet do on the night of her wedding?

4. What does Gary’s father describe as his “farmer car” (207)?

5. Why does Eric’s speech at Gary’s second wedding reception cause unease?

6. How does Kismet respond to her mother-in-law’s naming her?

7. What does Eric discuss with Kismet when he dances with her at her second wedding reception?

8. Why does Gary’s father exert himself at Gary’s second wedding reception?

9. Why is lambsquarters considered the Prince of Greens?

10. Why is a funeral cake served at Kismet’s second wedding reception?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What attitude towards intoxicants does the novel display? How does it make that attitude clear?

Essay Topic 2

Consider the setting of the novel. Could its events have happened in any other time than the book presents? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

To what other writer’s work in your experience does Erdrich’s seem most similar? What makes the writers similar? What differentiates them? Overall, which do you regard as doing better at the craft of writing, and why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 498 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample