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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 Castaneda circle in order to determine its position?

2. What kind of animal has Castaneda's head turned into?

3. What does Matus mix with the plant parts, just as his benefactor had him do?

4. What does Matus confess to not doing during Castaneda's trance?

5. The _________ is like a woman, flatters men, setting traps, and making him rub the paste on his forehead.

Short Essay Questions

1. What convinces Matus that the weed likes Castaneda?

2. Why must Castaneda blink many times during his recollection of being a crow?

3. What does Castaneda hide from after he consumes one more button after talking with Mescalito?

4. When he is called with "Hey boy!" why doesn't Castaneda come into Matus' house?

5. What ingredient is missing from the recipe that Matus learned from his benefactor?

6. What does Matus diagnose as Castaneda continues to feel shallow states of non-ordinary reality?

7. Describe the details of Castaneda's final encounter with Mescalito.

8. Describe how Castaneda feels after smoking the mixture in Matus' pipe.

9. What does Castaneda recall after already spending 90 minutes looking for lizards?

10. What does Matus provide for Castaneda as they read themselves to test Devil's Weed again?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the story, Castaneda is slowly led to the answers he is looking for, through the careful instruction by Matus. At times, the lessons are quite difficult and at other times, they can seem like common sense.

Part 1: Describe the process in which Castaneda has to collect the ingredients to make his own smoke.

Part 2: Why is it important for Castaneda to learn this long and drawn out process?

Part 3: Why do you think the process of learning about smoke mixture creation is so long and detailed?

Essay Topic 2

A skeptic might have troubles believing the events which take place in this book, according to Castaneda's notes.

Part 1: Describe one peyote experience of Castaneda's.

Part 2: Do you think these events Castaneda documented actually happened? Why or why not?

Part 3: In what ways do you think Castaneda could have made his descriptions more convincing? Or is what he wrote enough?

Essay Topic 3

At many points of the story, Matus does not give Castaneda answers to his questions, leading to confusion and often frustration in Castaneda.

Part 1: List at least two questions that Castaneda asks of Matus but does not get an answer for.

Part 2: Why do you think Matus chooses not to answer some of Castaneda's questions, but does choose to answer others?

Part 3: Do you think Castaneda would learn more if Matus told him everything up front? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 636 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample