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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 tall is Rayona?

2. What does the chairman of the Tribal Council give to Lee after he enlists?

3. What is the name of the lifeguard who fascinates Rayona?

4. Who owns the horse Rayona rides in the rodeo?

5. A poster of ____________ is hanging on the wall of Christine's childhood room.

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Rayona's life like?

2. Why does Father Tom come to see Christine?

3. How does Christine meet Elgin?

4. What is the one thing Christine is going to miss about Seattle?

5. Where do Elgin and Christine get married and how do they celebrate afterward?

6. What does Christine tell Dayton that makes Lee very angry with her?

7. Why does Christine compare her pregnant stomach to a black box?

8. How is Rayona treated by Foxy and Annabelle after she arrives at Aunt Ida's house?

9. How does it go when Aunt Ida comes to dinner at Dayton's house?

10. Why does Christine ask the doctor for a deck of cards after he gives her the terminal diagnosis?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Dorris's portrayal of Indians and Indian culture. Are his depictions stereotypical or does he show them to be nuanced human beings with individual, as well as a collective struggle to find their places in the world?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of belonging and abandonment as it is shown through Rayona, Christine, Ida and Dayton.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the structure of the novel and the effect of having the story told from three points of view. How does the impact of the novel different if the story is told in the reverse order?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 750 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample