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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. When Harjo's stepfather began to come into her room each morning, what action did he always take as she lay in bed?

2. On the title page of the part of the text entitled East, Harjo writes that east is the direction of what?

3. What action did Harjo begin to take in hopes of keeping her family safe from the wrath of her stepfather?

4. Harjo's mother threatened to hit her with what object if she continued to talk back about putting on a shirt?

5. What form of writing did Harjo's mother enjoy creating the most?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Harjo's message regarding the way in which everyone must deal with their "gulfs of sadness" (15)?

2. In what unique way does Harjo reveal events that occurred prior to her birth and what does she hope to achieve?

3. Discuss two instances when the force Harjo calls "the knowing" (71) somehow assisted her.

4. Discuss an instance of irony that also acts as an example of foreshadowing within the part of the memoir called North.

5. What sort of coping mechanisms does Harjo portray as detrimental, rather than helpful?

6. What events does Harjo imagine would have unfolded if a member of the family had called the police about their stepfather's abuse?

7. How are the themes of risk and reward depicted within the part of the text entitled North?

8. Name and discuss two themes that emerge within the epigraph of the memoir Crazy Brave.

9. What sort of school was the Institute of American Indian Arts and how did Harjo feel about attending?

10. For what reason did Harjo associate beauty with danger in her early childhood?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Read a lengthy interview with Harjo. Write an essay explaining the connection between several of Harjo’s answers and a major theme presented within the text of Crazy Brave.

Essay Topic 2

Perform a biographical criticism of Crazy Brave by researching Harjo's life and work. Be sure to create a strong and specific claim focused on this particular book and then support that claim with quotes from the book and from your research of Harjo.

Essay Topic 3

Could Crazy Brave be classified as a coming-of-age story? Why or why not?

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