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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 household chore does Kurt attempt to do for Faye?

2. How does Faye acquire the ceremonial drum?

3. To which tribe did Faye’s grandmother belong?

4. Why does Anaquot begin to sympathize with her would-be murderer?

5. Why do spirits visit Old Shaawano while he is making the drum?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Faye refer to as the “chain of events […] on Revival Road (65)?

2. How does Old Shaawano behave while mourning the loss of his wife and daughter?

3. How does Old Shaawano find the final element to include in the drum’s construction?

4. What does Bernard’s elderly companion learn from visiting with wolves?

5. What is Kurt Krahe’s artistic medium?

6. How does Anaquot learn she is in danger at Simon Jack’s house?

7. Why does Faye avoid wearing red when she works?

8. How does Faye convince Kit Tatro to mow her lawn?

9. How does Kendra die?

10. Why is Faye’s house invaded by police?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do wolves symbolize in the novel? Do they mean different things to different people? What lessons do the wolves offer the reader?

Essay Topic 2

What is the driving conflict of the novel? Does the story have a primary antagonist? How does the story balance external and internal conflict?

Essay Topic 3

In the author’s note, Erdrich notes that “As in all of my books, no sacred knowledge is revealed” (277). Why do you think she chose to keep some of these traditional practices hidden? What role does sacred knowledge play in the story?

(see the answer keys)

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