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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. Which of the following statements does not describe the bomber in "Can I Get a Witness?"

2. How old is Corliss in "The Search Engine"?

3. In "Can I Get a Witness?", how does the woman feel about her husband?

4. What are the parents in "Do Not Go Gentle" and the other parents in the hospital sick and tired of?

5. What happens when Corliss calls Harlan Atwater on the phone?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Richard think most Native American politicians are like?

2. How does Richard in "Lawyer's League" describe himself?

3. Why does the father in "Do Not Go Gentle" think his wife is more sorrowful than he is over their son's critical condition?

4. Who is Mr. Grief in "Do Not Go Gentle"?

5. What does the opening scene of "The Search Engine" in which Corliss watches the young couple in the student union cafe foreshadow?

6. Discuss the touches of humor in "Can I Get a Witness?"

7. How is it ironic that Bill is the only prosecutor in the lawyer's basketball league?

8. Why do you think Chocolate Thunder appeals to the father in "Do Not Go Gentle"?

9. Why don't the parents in "Do Not Go Gentle" name their baby at the beginning of the story?

10. Do you think the woman in "Can I Get a Witness" is thinking clearly after the bombing, or do you think her head injury affects her speech and behavior?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"The Life and Times of Estelle Walks Above" contains many numbered lists, notices of historical revision, and questions and answers marked Q and A. What do you think this unusual method of structure indicates about the character of the male narrator and what do you think Sherman Alexie is trying to convey in this unique format? Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

"Lawyer's League," "Do Not Go Gentle," and "Do You Know Where I Am?" are written in the first-person point of view while the other stories in Ten Little Indians are written in the third-person point of view. Discuss why you think Sherman Alexie selected the first-person viewpoint for each of these three stories. Also discuss whether you think first-person is an effective viewpoint for these stories. Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Parenting is a theme in many of the stories in Ten Little Indians. Compare and contrast the parents in "Do Not Go Gentle" with Estelle in "The Life and Times of Estelle Walks Above" and Corliss's parents in "The Search Engine." How does each set of parents deal with the blending of Native American culture and mainstream American culture in the raising of their children? Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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