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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 was Trina known for when she was younger?

2. Why does Gabe kill Cassidy?

3. What tribe is Cassidy's girlfriend from?

4. What kind of tracks does Gabe see in the snow by Ricky's grave?

5. What does Cassidy tell Jo to do before she leaves town?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Denorah see in Gabe's truck when he comes to see her in Part III?

2. Why does Gabe go to see Denorah right before the sweat ceremony?

3. What is Victor's role in the sweat ceremony?

4. What signs start to unsettle Gabe when he leaves the sweat lodge in Part IV?

5. Why are elk afraid of trains?

6. Who does Cassidy shoot in Part IV, and why?

7. What are the purposes of a sweat ceremony?

8. Why does Cassidy become so angry at Gabe in Part IV?

9. When do Cassidy and Gabe start to realize something might be wrong with Victor?

10. Who does Denorah see outside her eighth-grade geography window in Part III, and why is that person there?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does Lewis's interaction with police following Harley's attack of his co-worker Silas reveal about interactions and tensions between Indians and white police officers in general? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Why do you think Jones decides to tell the climactic events of the Elk Spirit's confrontation with Denorah from the point of view of an elderly tribal storyteller at the end of the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

What parallels do you think Jones seeks to draw between the herd of elk that Ricky sees just before he is killed at the beginning of the novel and the group of white men who attack him? Write an essay explaining your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 615 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample