Understanding Mitchell's Story

The word cryptic comes from the Greek word kryptos, meaning “hidden.” Based on this information, what does cryptic mean as it is used in paragraph 2?

• Unclear

• Secret

• Buried

• Forbidden

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How does the first-person point of view affect readers’ understanding of Mitchell’s mother?

• It reveals how different people view her.

• It limits readers to Mitchell’s perceptions of her.

• It gives readers direct access to her thoughts and feelings.

• It prevents Mitchell from revealing anything about her past.

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How does the setting of the baseball field contribute to Mitchell’s conflict in the story?

• It makes him feel insecure about his athletic abilities.

• It forces him to consider his role as the team’s center fielder.

• It upsets him to be the reason his team loses almost every game.

• It flusters him to be on the field knowing his father cannot see him play.

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Based on paragraphs 19–20, what can the reader infer about Uncle Tommy?

• He likes baseball better than the other sports Mitchell plays.

• He came to the game because Mitchell asked him to.

• He is dedicated to supporting Mitchell like a parent.

• He is trying to learn more about Mitchell and his mom.

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Which sentence from the story uses Mitchell’s point of view to reveal how his mother is feeling?

• My mother had gotten it into her head that being an Indian I should of course not just play baseball but excel at it.

• But try to explain to an eager German immigrant mother about stereotyping and American Indians being used as mascots.

• My mom was smiling and nodding at me, even though she had both fists clenched around her soda can so hard that it looked like an hourglass.

• It might have been my mom who encouraged Uncle Tommy to stay around and wait for me.

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What conflict does Mitchell struggle with through most of the story?

• The lack of connection to his late father

• The need to have others admire him

• The interference of his mother

• The need to be the best player

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In which two ways does the hawk contribute to the story?

• It teaches a lesson Mitchell can apply to baseball.

• It represents the memories of Mitchell’s home run.

• It catches Mitchell’s ball during the baseball game.

• It interferes with Mitchell’s training plans.

• It shows how Mitchell learns about his roots.

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What does Mitchell realize that leads to the story’s resolution?

• Baseball is important to him because it helps him make friends.

• Baseball is important to him because it connects him to his father.

• He wants to become a better baseball player to represent his culture.

• He wants to become a better baseball player to make his mom happy.

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The main conflict throughout much of the selection occurs between —

• Mitchell and himself

• Mitchell and his mother

• Mitchell and his teammates

• Mitchell and Uncle Tommy

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Which quote from the selection best supports the conflict of Ball Hawk ?

• My mother had gotten it into her head that being an Indian I should of course not just play baseball but excel at it.

• The Hurleytown pitcher smiled when he saw me come up to the plate.

• “Because the other guys won’t let me quit. No . . . because my mom wants so bad for me to play baseball.”

• “Mitchell, maybe your mind is getting clear now, but you still need to train your eye,” he said as we pulled in the drive.

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