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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. Matus tells Castaneda to find ________ on his porch where he can feel naturally happy and strong.

2. What is repulsing and frightening to him in one of the places he has marked?

3. What has happened to Matus that has caused him to not be on his porch one day?

4. What is Castaneda warned not to do when they are down by the creek?

5. If 'he' does not find Castaneda __________, their friendship would be lost.

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the question Castaneda asks of the lizards as he was instructed not to ask anything personal the first time?

2. What will happen if Castaneda does not receive his first 7 mescalitos from someone other than Matus?

3. What does Castaneda focus on the Indians' pre-contact use of, as illustrated by his experiences in this book?

4. Two years after accepting an apprentice, what does Matus prepare to do with Castaneda?

5. Describe the appearance of the two lizards that Matus shows to Castaneda.

6. Why is Matus not on his porch as usual on November 23rd, causing Castaneda to worry?

7. What does Castaneda do with the dog he sees while he is taking the mescalitos?

8. Once someone knows Mescalito well, what does 'he' appear as?

9. What is the name that Matus gives to his own teacher and what does it mean?

10. What will a person gain if they take Datura's second portion at least twenty times?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There is a lot of ritual and ceremony in this book, often to encourage the spirits of the plants to work with Castaneda or with Matus.

Part 1: Define the idea of ritual and of ceremony as it is seen in this book.

Part 2: Why is it important that the men attach a ritual or a ceremony to the work they do?

Part 3: What might happen without the addition of ritual or of ceremony? Does it not matter if these aspects are included or not?

Essay Topic 2

The sewing of the lizards is a harsh scene in the book.

Part 1: Describe the sewing of the lizards and why this is done in the story.

Part 2: Wouldn't this harming of the animals be hurting nature and somehow not being grateful to it? Isn't this in direct opposition to the way Matus treats the rest of the gifts of nature?

Part 3: What was your reaction to the images of the lizards? Did you believe this to actually have happened?

Essay Topic 3

The knowledge Castaneda gains is certainly stunning when one looks at the final summary of Castaneda's experiences.

Part 1: What are three of the points Castaneda makes in the final section of the book?

Part 2: Does this knowledge come from the plants directly or from Castaneda's subconscious? Why do you answer the way you do?

Part 3: Do you think Castaneda would have learned more if he has studied with Matus more frequently? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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