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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. Why does the air burn Ayah's lungs while she walks?

2. What branch of the military did Jimmie go into?

3. According to Ayah's memory, what would have happened to her if she entered the bar years ago?

4. Whom did the government person talk to about Jimmie's death?

5. As Ayah studies the faces in the bar, whom do they remind her of?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Ayah recognize about Chato's drinking?

2. What is the significance of Ayah offering half her blanket to Chato as they walk down the road?

3. What is the significance of Ayah fleeing with the children to the hills?

4. What is the purpose of Ayah remembering Jimmie's birth in the opening scene?

5. Why did Ayah no longer feel cold after remembering weaving and her traditional clothing?

6. What was the purpose of Ayah sleeping in the hills after the children are taken?

7. Why is it important for Ayah to remember that her mother's blankets are soft and woven so tight that rain rolls off of them?

8. What is the significance of Ayah recognizing one of the white doctors who came to her home?

9. What does Ayah mean when she says "they are already being weaned from the lava hills and from this sky"?

10. What is the significance of Ayah's tracks in the snow being filled by the falling snow until they're gone? How does this apply to Ayah's memories?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the onset of the novel, Ayah is wrapped in Jimmie's old army blanket. Describe what all this is a metaphor for, using specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

What is the impact of the wars on especially Ayah? Does she understand the meaning of the war beyond her grief? Why does she not believe the war has anything to do with her or her people? Use the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

At the end of the story, Ayah sings a lullaby to Chato as he peacefully dies in his sleep during the bitter cold. How is the act representative of Ayah finding peace? In what ways does it support the Navajos' belief in the circle of life? What is the importance of song in Lullaby? How does the importance of oral tradition play into song and its usage in Lullaby? Use fact details from the text to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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