97 pages 3 hours read

Louise Erdrich

Tracks

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1988

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapter 1

Reading Check

1. What has decimated the Chippewa people?

2. Who is Moses?

3. What happens to the allotment collectors who visit Fleur?

4. What remains unaffected by the plight of the Chippewa people?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is the relationship between Nanapush, Lulu, and Fleur Pillager?

2. Why are the villagers unwilling to help Fleur?

3. Why do Nanapush and Fleur suffer from a silent sickness?

4. What happens to Edgar Pukwan?

Paired Resource

“‘In the Old Language’: A Glossary of Ojibwe Words, Phrases, and Sentences in Louise Erdrich’s Novels”

  • This free-to-access article by Peter G. Beidler is a valuable resource for navigating the language in Tracks. Note that the Ojibwe term in each chapter title is followed by its English translation.
  • Consider how the marking of time according to the sun is relevant to the story.

Chapter 2

Reading Check

1. After being saved from two near drownings, why do men stay away from Fleur?

2. During one final card game, what is the response of the butcher’s men when Fleur takes all the winnings?

3. Who watches the men’s response but does not intervene?

4.