Study Guide Chapters 8, 9, 10

Please respond to the appropriate questions for your group. Delegate the tasks evenly among group members (for example: in a group of 4, each member should respond to 2-3 questions).

A: Chapter 8 - Urban Indian Blues 

1. Summarize the chapter.
2. The points made in the meditation on the power of the reservation over the lives of Indians are reinforced by the song, "Urban Indian Blues," which opens Chapter 8.  Does the urban life characterized in the song seem to be better or worse than life on the reservation? Explain.
3. What is the significance of the following characters: Sheridan, Wright, and Armstrong? 
4. Why did the horses scream on page 225? What does their screaming represent?
5. The newspaper article on 227-228 reinforces the personality traits we have seen developed in each member of Coyote Springs.   Describe what the article reveals about each of the following characters:  Victor, Thomas, and Junior.
6. In this chapter, Junior adds another reason that Indian men are attracted to white women.  What is it?  Do you think it may be true in some cases? 
7. Explain Checker's nightmare about Phil Sheridan. 
8. We learn in this chapter that when Lynn became pregnant with Junior's baby in college, she could not consider marriage to him because her parents would not accept an Indian into the family.  In your own experience, how common is this attitude about inter-racial marriage in Howard County today?  What are the differences in attitude between generations?

B: Chapter 9 - Small World 

1. Summarize the chapter.
2. Examine the epigraph that opens the chapter. What is the significance of this song?
3. Chapter 9 opens with a shocking event.  Why do you think the event occurred? Why does the narrator choose to recount the details of this chapter in non-chronological order?
4. Where did Spokane, Washington get its name?  Why is this ironic? 
5. To what extent does Victor's conversation in the airport with the young white man who claimed his guitar reflect confusion about Indian identity? To respond to this question, you may want to compare it with the conversation in the New York's Carson's All-Night Restaurant in Chapter 8 (238-9).  What is the effect of coming from a culture so widely known, but so misunderstood
6. Robert Johnson's full history is finally revealed in this chapter. Who do you think the Gentleman is?  How does this story connect to other stories or events? What message might the author be conveying through this story of the Gentleman?
7. How does Sheridan sell Betty and Veronica to Armstrong? What choice do you think Betty and Veronica will make about their careers?  What choice would you make?
8. Can you explain the end of George Wright's story on page 270?  How does Wright's story illuminate the screaming horses throughout the novel?

C: Chapter 10 - Wake 

1. Summarize the chapter.
2. What are the two meanings of the word "wake"?  Explain how both definitions lend meaning to the song that opens Chapter 10. 
3. The song also reflects the question asked in Chapter 4: To what extent do you think parents' lives (and ancestors' lives) predict their children's future?  How many free choices do think young Indians, or anyone, have? 
4. How does Big Mom counsel Robert Johnson?  Is her advice good advice for everyone? 
5. Big Mom also counsels Father Arnold in this chapter.  What is the key question she asks him when he asks her what to do? 
6. What does Chester propose to Thomas on page 284?  What does this suggest about her feelings about being Indian? 
7. Explain the impact of Junior's return from the grave near the end of the book. What did Junior advise Victor to do?  Will it be easy (or possible) for Victor to take his advice? 
8. Why did Betty and Veronica's song make Thomas so angry? 
9. Read Victor's "resume" on page 297.  What is funny about it?  What is sad about it? 
10. Is the ending satisfying? How does the ending tie the book's themes together?

HW: PROOFREAD your submissions for errors in punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Submit your group's EDITED chapter analysis to mogbara@gmail.com by Friday at midnight. I will complete the grading for the groups this weekend.

Read the complete Study Guide over the weekend, reflect on the book's major themes, and annotate your book for easy reference.  Note: All students must use a hardcopy of the novel for the exam.