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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 was Ira’s father’s job?

2. What food does Morris dream of sharing with Ira?

3. Why does Ira want to go home with John?

4. What does Apitichi’s name mean?

5. What does Morris receive from the church?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is John’s attitude towards Ira?

2. How does Shawnee feel about Honey?

3. Why does Morris fall in love with Ira?

4. Why is Bernard suspicious of Ira when she arrives?

5. What happened to Bernard’s family?

6. Why is Shawnee angry at her mother?

7. What is Ira’s attitude towards herself?

8. What causes the fire at Ira’s house?

9. Which of Ira’s possessions survives the fire, and why?

10. Why is Ira worried when she talks to Seraphine?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Faye considers the nature of her work, she notes that she is not “a traditional Ojibwe” (33). Why do you think she chooses to distance herself from her cultural heritage? What other elements does she use to build an identity? Does this identity change through her journey?

Essay Topic 2

Consider the unusual relationship and friendship between Faye and Elsie. How is theirs different from other parent-child relationships portrayed in the novel? Is it healthier, or unhealthy in different ways? What does each bring to the relationship?

Essay Topic 3

What does the skeleton of the Eykes’ dog symbolize in Part 4 of the novel? Why did the author choose to include this detail, and how does it emphasize some of the novel’s themes?

(see the answer keys)

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