The Night Watchman Quizzes

The Night Watchman Quiz 1

1 Who is the title character of the novel?
Doris Lauder

Thomas Wazhashk

Wood Mountain

Patrice Paranteau
2 What is Patrice's main conflict throughout the novel?
Finding and saving her older sister, Vera

Getting into college

Falling in love with Wood Mountain

Getting a promotion at her factory
3 What is the name of the tribe to which the characters belong?
Navajo Nation

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa

Cherokee Nation

Lakota
4 What preoccupies Thomas during his night watch?
Writing letters to people in power to persuade them to help Turtle Mountain

Working extra hard to get a promotion

Thinking about his old classmate who occasionally haunts him

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

30 years

28 years

33 years
6 Why does Patrice go to Minneapolis?
To go to school

To live with her sister

To find her older sister who has gone missing

To find better work
7 Whom do both Barnes and Wood Mountain have romantic feelings for?
Patrice

Doris Lauder

Vera

Valentine
8 Which domestic activity does Pixie most enjoy doing?
Washing clothes

Sewing

Chopping wood

Sweeping the floor
9 What is the relationship between Patrice and Thomas?
Thomas is her uncle and Patrice is his niece.

Thomas is a family friend of Patrice's family.

Thomas is Patrice's boss at the factory.

Thomas is Patrice's at-home teacher.
10 What is Juggie Blue's relationship to Wood Mountain?
Juggie is Wood Mountain's grandmother.

Juggie is Wood Mountain's caretaker.

Juggie is Wood Mountain's mother.

Juggie is Wood Mountain's aunt.
11 What job does Barnes have?
Science teacher and wrestling coach

English teacher and boxing coach

P.E. teacher and wrestling coach

Math teacher and boxing coach
12 Who is the ghost that haunts Thomas?
A former colleague who died from an accident at the factory

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

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 perfumed smell

Her heart-shaped face

Her laugh

Her blonde hair
14 Why does Patrice nearly get in trouble on her first train ride?
She refuses to change seats with the wife of a neighboring man.

She refuses to go to the bathroom.

She gets off at the wrong station.

She spills her lunch on her neighbor.
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 waitress at a diner.

She works as a sex worker at a brothel.
16 Who is Zhaanat?
The wife of Thomas

The mother of Patrice, Vera, and Pokey

A coworker of Patrice

A schoolteacher of Patrice
17 Why does Patrice dislike being called "Pixie"?
Pixie is what her alcoholic dad calls her.

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

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

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.

She quits her job at the factory.

Valentine gives Patrice her sick days.

Her coworkers all demand one week of paid time off.
19 What euphemism does House Concurrent Resolution 108, the termination bill, use that Thomas notices?
Freedom

Equality

Liberty

Emancipation
20 Who is Thomas' primary antagonist?
Barnes the boxing coach

Wood Mountain

Arthur V. Watkins

Roderick the ghost
21 What job does Juggie Blue have?
She works as a cook at a local diner.

She works as a healer.

She works as a school clerk.

She works as a caretaker and cook for the schoolteachers.
22 What is one goal that Patrice has for her life?
To marry well

To become rich

To become famous

To attend college
23 What spurs Patrice to go to Minneapolis and look for her sister?
She receives a note from a friend saying that her sister was spotted.

She receives a letter from her sister.

She hears from a cousin that her sister was spotted.

She has a dream that her sister is in danger.
24 Why does Zhaanat ask her cousin Gerald to visit?
Gerald has many connections in Minneapolis and can use them to find her.

Gerald can help heal a sick family member.

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

Gerald can help tutor Patrice while she is out of school.
25 Who wins the first boxing match in the novel?
No one

Lloyd Barnes

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