Smoke Signals

Question 1

Both of this person’s parents are dead.

a) Thomas Builds the Fire
b) Victor
c) Arnold
d) Arlene

Answer 1

a) Thomas Builds the Fire

Question 2

How did the fire start?

a) Unattended candle
b) Electrical failure
c) We don’t know
d) Someone left the stove on

Answer 2

c) We don’t know

Question 3

How would you describe Victor’s relationship with Thomas?

a) Close
b) Abusive
c) Antagonistic
d) Cruel

Answer 3

c) Antagonistic

Question 4

In a screenplay POV means

a) Point of View
b) People on View
c) Present on View
d) Pertaining to Vote

Answer 4

a) Point of View

Question 5

In a screenplay, POV is a direction to the

a) Actors
b) Set design team
c) Director
d) Camera

Answer 5

d) Camera

Question 6

Thomas is mocked for

a) His odd manners and way of dressing
b) His lack of motivation
c) Being raised by his grandmother
d) Being poetic

Answer 6

a) His odd manners and way of dressing

Question 7

What does Arnold get so angry with Victor for saying no “Indians” are his favourite?

a) It shows a lack of respect for himself.
b) It shows a lack of respect for his culture.
c) It shows a lack of respect for his parents.
d) All of the above.

Answer 7

a) It shows a lack of respect for himself.

Question 8

Suzy Song is

a) Thomas’s aunt
b) Arnold’s neighbour
c) Arlene’s sister
d) Victor’s mother

Answer 8

b) Arnold’s neighbour

Question 9

Arnold leaves his family because

a) To find work.
b) He has a new girlfriend.
c) He doesn’t have the strength to be the man they deserve.
d) He fights with Arlene too much.

Answer 9

c) He doesn’t have the strength to be the man they deserve.

Question 10

Why does Victor agree to take Thomas with him on his journey?

a) He needs the support.
b) He needs the money.
c) To be kind.
d) His mother made him.

Answer 10

b) He needs the money.

Question 11

What purpose does Lester Fallsapart serve?

a) Comedic relief
b) To foreshadow an event
c) To create a sense of tragedy
d) To create suspense

Answer 11

a) Comedic relief

Question 12

When we go back in time in a screen play, this is called

a) a flashback
b) metaphor
c) temporal shift
d) confusing

Answer 12

a) a flashback

Question 13

What can we infer about Velma and Lucy from the state of their car?

a) They are silly.
b) They are materialistic.
c) They are adventurous.
d) They don’t have a lot of money.

Answer 13

d) They don’t have a lot of money.

Question 14

What kind of “vibe” is created by the extras as Thomas and Victor get on the bus?

a) Warm and friendly
b) Cold and unfriendly
c) Welcoming and inclusive
d) Sweet and gentle

Answer 14

b) Cold and unfriendly

Question 15

Arlene and Arnold struggled with

a) Lack of exercise
b) Unhealthy living
c) Resentment
d) Alcoholism

Answer 15

d) Alcoholism

Question 16

How does Arlene find out Arnold is dead?

a) She calls the hospital.
b) She is visited by the police.
c) Suzy Song calls her.
d) She sees the notice in the paper.

Answer 16

c) Suzy Song calls her.

Question 17

How does Suzy figure out something is wrong at Arnold’s trailer?

a) He doesn’t show up to dinner.
b) His dog Kafka is outside and whimpering.
c) His truck is gone.
d) The door to the mobile home is open.

Answer 17

b) His dog Kafka is outside and whimpering.

Question 18

Why does Sherman Alexie take the camera through so many angles before discovering Arnold’s body?

a) To create suspense.
b) To fill time.
c) To fully describe the situation.
d) To add detail.

Answer 18

a) To create suspense.

Question 19

What story does Thomas tell in exchange for a ride from Lucy and Velma?

a) The time he played basketball with Victor and won.
b) One night he had a dream that made him walk to a waterfall and Arnold found him there.
c) Arnold drove the truck while drinking beer when Victor was in the truck with him.
d) During an anti-Vietnam protest, Arnold took a rifle from a National Guardsman and beat him with it.

Answer 19

d) During an anti-Vietnam protest, Arnold took a rifle from a National Guardsman and beat him with it.

Question 20

Why is Victor mean?

a) He hasn’t been able to cope with the absence of his father.
b) He is spoiled.
c) He is raised by a grandmother who doesn’t care about him.
d) He is an alcoholic.

Answer 20

a) He hasn’t been able to cope with the absence of his father.

Question 21

The accident is caused by

a) A dog running on the road.
b) Thomas arguing with Victor.
c) Bad weather
d) Burt drinking and driving.

Answer 21

d) Burt drinking and driving.

Question 22

Who dies in the accident?

a) Julie
b) Thomas
c) the police chief
d) Ginger - a dog

Answer 22

d) Ginger - a dog

Question 23

Who saved Julie’s life?

a) Victor
b) Thomas
c) Burt
d) Holly

Answer 23

a) Victor

Question 24

The police chief’s assumptions about and interrogation of Thomas and Victor is informed by

a) The law
b) Racism
c) Police training
d) The facts of the case

Answer 24

b) Racism

Question 25

The police chief disregards the testimony of Holly and Julie because “their relationship was not quite ordinary”. This is an example of

a) Shoddy police work
b) Homophobia
c) Sexism
d) Evidence based analysis

Answer 25

b) Homophobia

Question 26

How does the story come “full circle”?

a) They bury Arnold.
b) Victor wins a basketball game against the priests.
c) Suzy sets fire to Arnold’s trailer.
d) Thomas returns to wearing a suit.

Answer 26

c) Suzy sets fire to Arnold’s trailer.

Question 27

Alexie uses the role of Lester Fallsapart to

a) Resolve the question of the fire
b) Explain the emotional ground of Arnold
c) Demonstrate the impact of intergenerational violence
d) Illustrate how quiet and small the reserve is, and to provide comic relief.

Answer 27

d) Illustrate how quiet and small the reserve is, and to provide comic relief.

Question 28

How does Victor show Thomas appreciation?

a) He invites him to play basketball with his friends.
b) He promises to pay back the money.
c) He gives him half of Arnold’s ashes.
d) He takes him to a waterfall.

Answer 28

c) He gives him half of Arnold’s ashes.

Question 29

Why do Victor and Thomas laugh when Victor says, “At least you go the pickup.”?

a) Because the truck is in such as bad shape.
b) It was an inside joke.
c) Because Kafka got the car.
d) Because they stole it from the impound yard.

Answer 29

a) Because the truckis in such bad shape.

Question 30

What is not a theme in Smoke Signals?

a) Abandonment
b) Romance
c) Forgiveness
d) Identity

Answer 30

b) Romance

Question 31

Match each letter with the correct answer.
A) Discarded
B) Canteen
C) Tavern
D) Reluctant 
E) Memento
F) Methodically
G) Hysterical
H) Pessimism
I) Converse
J) Mute

1. Upset to the point of being uncontrolled and irrational
2. Talk
3. A tendency to think the worst of people/situations
4. An object used to remember something/someone
5. Silent
6. Threw out
7. Bar/restaurant
8. Container for carrying water
9. Without enthusiasm, not wanting to do something
10. Carefully following an order of steps

Answer 31

A) 6
B) 8
C) 7
D) 9
E) 4
F) 10
G) 1
H) 3
I) 2
J) 5

Question 32

Match each letter with the correct answer.
A) Insomniac
B) Illuminated
C) Drifting
D) Smoldering
E) "enit"
F) Contemporary
G) Isolated
H) Exertion
I) Repetitive
J) Tenacious
K) Intimidated
L) Sitting Bull and Chief Joseph

1. Fearful of someone
2. Doing something over and over again
3. First Nations leaders who resisted colonization
4. Not giving up, persistent
5. Alone
6. New/current
7. Spending a lot of energy in effort
8. Slang for “isn’t it” (like “eh”)
9. Lit
10. Gently moving/falling
11. A person who cannot sleep
12. Smoking hot, almost burning

Answer 32

A) 11
B) 9
C) 10
D) 12
E) 8
F) 6
G) 5
H) 7
I) 2
J) 4
K) 1
L) 3