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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 does Ike learn patience?

2. Where does Major deSpain want to make Lion sleep?

3. What is missing from camp when Ike is 14?

4. In what month do the men go on their annual trips to hunt Old Ben?

5. Who is the dog that hunts Old Ben?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the mysterious circumstances of Sam's death as discovered by the men who return to camp.

2. What does the train now symbolize?

3. What did Ike learn about freedom from Old Ben?

4. Describe Boon's relationship with Lion.

5. To what does Ike compare the earth, Sam and the wilderness?

6. What is the setting for this story?

7. How does Ike describe his feelings of being in the power of the wilderness?

8. How does Ike feel that he shared the same ancestry with the family's slaves?

9. What is the doctor's appraisal of Lion, Boon and Sam?

10. Why does Ike get irritated with Boon and what memory does the experience bring back for Ike?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a brief character study of Sam Fathers. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him--if anything--at this point in his life?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the significance of the book's title. What did the author mean by calling the story THE BEAR? Cite an example to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

The reader is introduced to some Native American beliefs and tradition through the character of Sam Fathers. Cite at least three examples of Native American folklore in the book and note why you selected these examples as representative of the Native American culture.

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This section contains 844 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample