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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. What does Marie in "Flight Patterns" do for a living?

2. What happens to Sharon when she and David are sixty-six years old?

3. How many children do David and Sharon have?

4. How much money does Jackson win at the lottery?

5. Which of the following is not a trait Estelle's son identifies as a negative aspect of being an Indian?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Jackson consider himself an "effective" homeless man?

2. How does the lost cat illustrate the story's theme of redemption in "Do You Know Where I Am?"

3. In "Do You Know Where I Am?", what is David's family background and is it the stereotypical background for an Indian?

4. Why does Estelle Walks Above change her name?

5. Why do you think Jackson is so eager to redeem his grandmother's powwow regalia?

6. Describe Jackson's relationship with Officer Williams in "What You Pawn, I Will Redeem."

7. Regarding "Flight Patterns," discuss William's familiarity with Donna Fargo and Patsy Cline and what it indicates.

8. What factors do you think contribute to and help perpetuate Jackson's homelessness in "What You Pawn, I Will Redeem"?

9. Describe Estelle's relationship with her son in "The Life and Times of Estelle Walks Above."

10. How are white people depicted in "The Life and Times of Estelle Walks Above" and how does this depiction compare to Estelle's opinion of white people?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast any three of the following male characters from the short stories in Ten Little Indians: Harlan Atwater, Richard, the unnamed man in "Can I Get a Witness," the father in "Do Not Go Gentle," William, David, Jackson and Frank Snake Church. Include a discussion of how they are each assimilated into mainstream American culture and how they are affected by Native American culture. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the relationship of Sharon and David in "Do You Know Where I Am" with the relationship of William and Marie in "Flight Patterns" and the relationship of the unnamed parents in "Do Not Go Gentle." Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Death is a theme or plot element in numerous stories in Sherman Alexie's Ten Little Indians. Compare and contrast the handling of the subject of death and grief in any three stories from the collection. Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

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