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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 is the final ingredient in the smoke mixture Castaneda and Matus are making?

2. How many Indians are sitting on the porch when Castaneda arrives to meet with Matus?

3. What does Matus and Castaneda do before consuming a button of peyote?

4. In the end, how many buttons of peyote do the men consume individually?

5. How many years pass after accepting an apprenticeship does Matus prepare to initiate Castaneda to ally powers?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Matus declare all is well the next evening after Castaneda has taken the buttons?

2. Where are Castaneda and the six Indians driving to when he arrives at Matus' home on August 4, 1961?

3. What does Castaneda do with the dog he sees while he is taking the mescalitos?

4. What area does Castaneda mark with his shoe?

5. What will a person gain if they take Datura's second portion at least twenty times?

6. What does Castaneda focus on the Indians' pre-contact use of, as illustrated by his experiences in this book?

7. After a year of sidestepping questions from Castaneda about Peyote, what does Matus account?

8. Once someone knows Mescalito well, what does 'he' appear as?

9. What is the test Matus has for Castaneda in order to determine if he dares to meet Mescalito?

10. Which spot is the spot that Castaneda feels most comfortable and happy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The idea of having good intentions is something that factors into each session Matus and Castaneda share.

Part 1: Compare the intentions for Matus and Castaneda for at least two sessions they share.

Part 2: Why is it important to have a strong intention for the work the two men are sharing?

Part 3: What do you think might have happened if Castaneda did not have a strong intention for the work he does?

Essay Topic 2

One of the things many readers question about the book Castaneda writes is its validity. After all, the reader is not there to see whether these events actually took place.

Part 1: Cite some details in the story that might make a reader question the truthfulness of this story.

Part 2: Cite some details in the story that might make a reader more convinced the events actually took place.

Part 3: Does it matter if the events in the story actually happened? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Sometimes the experiences Castaneda has during this story are seemingly times when he goes mad or loses control of his senses.

Part 1: Describe the scene in which Castaneda is playing with the black dog.

Part 2: Do you think this black dog is real? Why or why not?

Part 3: What are some other explanations for the presence of the black dog in this scene?

(see the answer keys)

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