The Night Watchman Quizzes

The Night Watchman Quiz 1

1 Who is the title character of the novel?

Doris Lauder

Patrice Paranteau

Wood Mountain

Thomas Wazhashk
2 What is Patrice's main conflict throughout the novel?

Getting a promotion at her factory

Finding and saving her older sister, Vera

Getting into college

Falling in love with Wood Mountain
3 What is the name of the tribe to which the characters belong?

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa

Navajo Nation

Lakota

Cherokee Nation
4 What preoccupies Thomas during his night watch?

Writing letters to people in power to persuade them to help Turtle Mountain

Thinking about his old classmate who occasionally haunts him

Working extra hard to get a promotion

Worrying about money and his family
5 How long have Rose and Thomas been married?

33 years

30 years

22 years

28 years
6 Why does Patrice go to Minneapolis?

To live with her sister

To find her older sister who has gone missing

To find better work

To go to school
7 Whom do both Barnes and Wood Mountain have romantic feelings for?

Vera

Doris Lauder

Valentine

Patrice
8 Which domestic activity does Pixie most enjoy doing?

Sewing

Chopping wood

Washing clothes

Sweeping the floor
9 What is the relationship between Patrice and Thomas?

Thomas is a family friend of Patrice's family.

Thomas is her uncle and Patrice is his niece.

Thomas is Patrice's at-home teacher.

Thomas is Patrice's boss at the factory.
10 What is Juggie Blue's relationship to Wood Mountain?

Juggie is Wood Mountain's grandmother.

Juggie is Wood Mountain's aunt.

Juggie is Wood Mountain's mother.

Juggie is Wood Mountain's caretaker.
11 What job does Barnes have?

Math teacher and boxing coach

P.E. teacher and wrestling coach

English teacher and boxing coach

Science teacher and wrestling coach
12 Who is the ghost that haunts Thomas?

An old classmate who was placed in a cellar by a missionary schoolteacher and died

A former colleague who died from an accident at the factory

A cousin who died from alcoholism

An old friend who was killed by a local sheriff
13 What positive physical trait does Patrice consistently note about Doris Lauder?

Her blonde hair

Her heart-shaped face

Her perfumed smell

Her laugh
14 Why does Patrice nearly get in trouble on her first train ride?

She spills her lunch on her neighbor.

She refuses to go to the bathroom.

She refuses to change seats with the wife of a neighboring man.

She gets off at the wrong station.
15 How does Patrice survive when she goes to Minneapolis?

She works as a waterjack in a bar.

She stays with her cousin for free and spends her savings.

She works as a sex worker at a brothel.

She works as a waitress at a diner.
16 Who is Zhaanat?

The mother of Patrice, Vera, and Pokey

A coworker of Patrice

A schoolteacher of Patrice

The wife of Thomas
17 Why does Patrice dislike being called "Pixie"?

She thinks Pixie is a juvenile name and doesn't suit her worldly ambitions.

Pixie is what her alcoholic dad calls her.

Pixie reminds her too much of her older sister, who gave her that nickname.

Pixie sounds too white.
18 How is Patrice able to get off work to go to Minneapolis?

She begs her boss to let her go on unpaid leave for a few days.

Valentine gives Patrice her sick days.

Her coworkers all demand one week of paid time off.

She quits her job at the factory.
19 What euphemism does House Concurrent Resolution 108, the termination bill, use that Thomas notices?

Equality

Liberty

Freedom

Emancipation
20 Who is Thomas' primary antagonist?

Wood Mountain

Roderick the ghost

Barnes the boxing coach

Arthur V. Watkins
21 What job does Juggie Blue have?

She works as a caretaker and cook for the schoolteachers.

She works as a school clerk.

She works as a cook at a local diner.

She works as a healer.
22 What is one goal that Patrice has for her life?

To attend college

To marry well

To become famous

To become rich
23 What spurs Patrice to go to Minneapolis and look for her sister?

She has a dream that her sister is in danger.

She receives a letter from her sister.

She receives a note from a friend saying that her sister was spotted.

She hears from a cousin that her sister was spotted.
24 Why does Zhaanat ask her cousin Gerald to visit?

Gerald can call upon the spirits and learn where Vera is located.

Gerald can help heal a sick family member.

Gerald has many connections in Minneapolis and can use them to find her.

Gerald can help tutor Patrice while she is out of school.
25 Who wins the first boxing match in the novel?

Lloyd Barnes

No one

Wood Mountain

Joe Wobleszynski (Wobble)

Study Guide for The Night Watchman

The Night Watchman study guide contains a biography of Louise Erdrich, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for The Night Watchman …

The Night Watchman

by Louise Erdrich

The Night Watchman Quiz 1

The Night Watchman Questions and Answers

Study Guide for The Night Watchman

Lesson Plan for The Night Watchman