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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Mary Redmond tell Tom Black she once cried all night over?

2. Tom Black finds where the bear has cached the remains of a kill it has made, so he does what?

3. A bear rushes into the meadow from the brush and kills what, as Tom Black muses over his rodeo plans one day?

4. Why does Mary Redmond not like cats?

5. What is Tom Black's reaction when children in the park recognize him and point him out as a killer?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Roundness of life is a significant theme in this story. It unfolds through Bessie Black Bull, who maintains the 'old ways' and instructs them to Tom. What is it the reader learns to look for with this theme? How does the concept of continuation within all life tie in with this 'roundness' theme? Detail the method Bessie uses to teach this intrinsic truth concerning nature.

Essay Topic 2

Tom encounters the bear while herding sheep and he is surprised. It brings back memories as well as questions. Why does Tom go back to track the bear down? What will he do when he finds the bear? Why is he unable to kill the bear? What journey does his second meeting with the bear compel Tom to take?

Essay Topic 3

Blue Elk is an antagonist. He is a corrupted bridge linking the white and Ute worlds. Examine Blue Elk's responsibility for a significant amount of the misunderstanding and miscommunication between these two cultures. How does Blue Elk use his command of both languages to take advantage of the Ute Indians who do not speak English, and the white people who do not speak Ute? How does he exploit the greed of the white man? How does he exploit the Ute sense of justice and honesty? How is Blue Elk a twisted, unscrupulous variant of both the white man and the Ute Indian?

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This section contains 445 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample