Class 12- English Literature

Short Story: The Medicine Bag by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve

Question 1: MCQs

1 mark each

1. Which of the following statements bring out Martin’s embarrassment about finding his
grandfather on the street in the short story. ‘The Medicine Bag’? (Understand + Analyse)
a) I stood on the curb, unable to move even though I wanted to run and hide. (Answer)
b) “Grandpa” I said, and felt pretty dumb when my voice cracked.
c) His rumpled black suit hung like a sack over his stooped frame.
d) As he shook my hand, his coat fell open to expose a bright-red satin shirt with a
beaded bolo tie under the collar.

Answer: (a) I stood on the curb, unable to move even though I wanted to run and hide.

2. According to you, which of the given reasons justifies Martin and Cherly’s glamorous
portrayal of their grandfather in the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’? (Inference)
a) The children wanted to gain attention from their friends.
b) The children did not have anything else to share with their friends
c) The children were genuinely proud of their culture.
d) The children had always something interesting to share after their return from his
house. (Answer)

Answer: (d) The children had always something interesting to share after their return from his house.

3. Out of the given statements, which one brings out the theme of the short story, ‘The
Medicine Bag’? (Understanding)
a) It is the responsibility of the older generation to make the younger generation aware
of their heritage and culture.
b) The younger generation feels embarrassed of its traditions.
c) Everyone should be sensitive towards their own culture and traditions. (Answer)
d) The older generation can only pass on the culture to the next generation but must
not expect anything in return.

Answer: c) Everyone should be sensitive towards their own culture and traditions.

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 4. Read the two statements given below. Select the appropriate relation between the two.
(Understanding + analysis)
Statement A: Iron Shell gave the medicine bag to Martin and told him not to wear it.
Statement B: Martin could wear the medicine bag once he had replaced the sacred sage.
a) Statement B is similar to Statement A
b) Statement B is a condition for Statement A
c) Statement B is the reason for Statement A
d) Statement B is the result of Statement A

Answer: b) Statement B is a condition for Statement A

5. In the short story, ‘The medicine bag’ Which character trait of Martin is brought out by the
line, ‘Two weeks later I stood alone on the lonely prairie of the reservation and put the
sacred sage in my medicine bag’ (Inference)
a) Proud of his culture.
b) Indifferent towards his culture.
c) Ashamed of his culture.
d) Insensitive towards his culture.

Answer: a) Proud of his culture

6. In the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, Martin finds money bills in grandpa’s shoes. What is
the tone of the conversation? (understanding)
a) satirical
b) Humorous
c) Melancholic
d) Joyous

Answer: b) Humorous

7. Which one of the following best describes the notion that Martin and Cheryl’s friends have
about Native Americans in the beginning of the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, (recall+
understanding)
a) Native Americans wore traditional clothes and had bows and arrows.
b) Native Americans were short people who lived in forests.
c) Native Americans were tall and stately and had braided hair.
d) Native Americans spoke in tribal language and not English.

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Answer: c) Native Americans were tall and stately and had braided hair.

8. In the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, grandpa talks about his father’s quest. What was
considered to be a sign which reinforced his dream? (recall)
a) Glittery stones and piece of an earthen pot
b) Remains of a campfire and the broken shell of an iron kettle.
c) Ancestral key and the a piece of elk skin.
d) A piece of iron shell and the medicine bag.

Answer: b) Remains of a campfire and the broken sell of an iron kettle.

9. In the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, grandpa felt that his son had a daughter who was not
to be troubled with the story of his father and the quest. What does it tell you about
grandpa? (Inference)
a) He is afraid that she will reveal the story to her husband who was a white man.
b) He feels that she has a lot of work to do and need not be troubled with facts.
c) He is too tired to call her and tell her the story all over again.
d) He feels that only male heirs of the family should know about this quest.

Answer: d) He feels that only male heirs of the family should know about this quest.

10. In the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, what is suggestive of the sentence, “I will sleep now”
said by grandpa to Martin? (inference)
a) Grandpa has to wake up early and so needs to sleep.
b) Grandpa knows that he may not see the rising Sun.
c) Grandpa is content that he had passed on the heirloom
d) Grandpa is too tired to sit and wants rest.

Answer: c) Grandpa is content that he had passed on the heirloom.

Question 2: Give reasons / Fill in the blanks

1 mark each:

Note: Students may write the reasons in their own words with reference to the text.

1. In the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, Martin and Cherly have never shown the picture of
their great grandfather to their friends because __________ (knowledge + understanding)
Answer: they knew that the glamorous tales they had told their friends about Native
Americans did not go with the real thing

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 OR
Answer: they had portrayed him very differently / more glamorous than what he actually
was.
OR
Grandpa was not tall and stately like what the children had seen in movies or TV.
2. In the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, Martin’s mother checks her move of embracing her
grandfather because ______________ (analysis)
Answer: It was not customary for girls/women to embrace their father/grandfather in the
Native American /Sioux community.
OR
Grandfather was a conservative Sioux who would not be comfortable with the customs of
the white Americans.
3. In the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, grandpa tells Martin’s father that he would have not
come down with them earlier because ___________ (recall +analysis)
Answer: grandfather felt that it was not the right time for him to come to his
granddaughter’s house.
OR
Grandfather had to pass on his medicine bag to his next male heir and there was a specific
time for him to do so.
4. In the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, Martin’s face gets all hot when his friends come to
meet grandpa because _______________. (recall + understanding)
Answer: when grandpa looked at Martin, his eyes twinkled and he nodded as if he knew all
along that Martin was afraid he would embarrass him in front of his friends.
OR
Answer: Martin had tried his best to avoid his friends from meeting grandpa and eventually
when they did, it seemed that grandpa had known all along that Martin would feel that he
would embarrass him in front of his friends

5. In the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, Grandpa sent Cheryl and her mother away before
talking to Martin about the heirloom because _____________. (analysis)
Answer: according to the custom of a Sioux, the story of the quest and the heirloom should
only be passed on to the male heir.
OR

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 Answer: It was not appropriate for the women folk of the house to know about the story or
the heirloom.

Question 3: Short answer type questions

Each question carries 5 marks.

(i) With reference to the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, why do you think Martin feels
embarrassed of his great grandfather when he is found looking for their home? What
does it tell you about the boy? Write your answer in about 100-150 words.
Answer:
This question is in two parts
Part 1 – students should analyse the reasons for Martin to feel embarrassed of his great
grandfather.
Part 2 – students need to write Martin’s character trait in that particular episode.
Value Points:
 Martin had presented a glamorous picture of his great grandpa to his friends –
the way they had perceived a Native American on TV.
 A crowd of little kids were yelling at the old man and dogs were yipping and
growling around him – he was walking in the middle of the street.
 The old man was wearing a long black hat from which a feather was drooping
and his gray hair straggled from under, baggy pants and was carrying a beat-up
old tin suitcase which was tied shut with a rope – his get up was out of place in
the city.
 Martin felt embarrassed when his grandpa shook his hand and while he did that,
his coat fell open to expose a bright-red satin shirt with a beaded bolo tie under
the collar – all this being watched by the people in the neighbourhood.
 Martin’ character trait – shameful of his grandfather / struggles with the idea of
reality of his grandfather as against the glamorous picture that he has
presented/struggles with the idea of grandpa’s sudden presence.

(ii) The short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, presents conservative views about women that
what we know today. Analyse this statement keeping in mind at least four instances from
the text. Write your answer in about 100-150 words. (Recall +Analysis)
Answer:

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 Note: This is an analytical question where students need to refer to four instances from
the text to support their analysis.
Value points
 Martin’s mother checked her move to embrace grandpa when he arrived but he
stretched his arms to hug Cheryl who was still young enough to be hugged. It
was not usual / customary in the reservation for men to embrace women once
they have crossed a certain age.
 Even when grandpa had fainted, Martin chooses to undress him knowing that
grandpa would not want his mother to do the same. – Grandpa would not have
known yet Martin knows of his staunch beliefs as a Sioux.
 Martin’s dad had to convince grandpa to allow his wife to feed him for that night
– grandpa would not have liked being fed by a woman specially his
granddaughter.
 Grandpa sends Martin’s mom and sister out when he had to hand over his
heirloom to Martin. He did not find it important to let the women know about
the story and tells Martin that they should not be troubled with it.
 Grandpa passes the heirloom only to the male child and had travelled a long way
to give it to him as against handing it to his own granddaughter.

Rubric for 5 marker questions

1-2: only one or two instances are explained with basic analysis

3-4: If all instances are stated and analysis is insufficient.

4-5: If all instances are stated with good analysis.

Question 4: Long answer type question:

This question carries 10 marks

Question: With reference to the short story, ‘The Medicine Bag’, analyse Martin’s journey from his
embarrassment of being a descendant of a Native American to that of the pride with which he puts
the sacred sage in his medicine bag. (evaluate)

Note: Analysis of Martin’s journey should be supported with instances from the text.

Value points

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 Martin along with his sister portray a glamorous picture of their Native American great
grandpa to their friends but Martin feels ashamed when his grandpa suddenly turns up at his
place and is found walking in the middle of the street.
 The children are yelling at him and the dogs are growling at the old man. Martin runs to his
rescue but feels embarrassed when his grandpa shakes hands with him and Martin notices
that he is not dressed aptly for city.
 Though Martin loves his grandpa and has enjoyed going over to this place during vacations,
his attitude does not remain the same when he finds his grandfather at home.
 A certain resentment is seen when he has to undress his old man when he faints.
 Martin slowly feels sensitive to the needs to his grandfather when he realises that at the age
of eighty-six, he had taken so much pain as to travel so far with great difficulty to reach their
home – a man who had never left the reservation.
 Martin had not allowed his friends to meet his grandpa thinking that he would embarrass
him but it soon turned out to be false. His friends loved his grandpa when they came to
spend time with him.
 Martin’s respect grew for his grandpa when he got to know that he had come all the way
because it was time for him to have the medicine bag.
 Grandpa takes Martin through the journey of the importance of the medicine bag and how it
had become a sign of safety for the family. Martin realises that the vision quest and the
importance of finding a spirit guide and the distress of the Native Americans made him a
part of a strong ancestral history.
 He understood the importance of being a part of a rich culture and that he was responsible
for continuing the tradition of holding the medicine bag.
 This made him sensitive towards his grandpa and finally proud of holding the medicine bag
and finding the sacred sage and placing it in the bag.

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