The Story of Keesh quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Which literary genres best describe "The Story of Keesh"?

   • Realism / Memoir
   • Gothic / Horror
   • Modernism / Satire
   • Romanticism / Tragedy
   • Correct answer: Fable / Legend

   Fable / Legend fits perfectly — the story is framed as an ancient oral tale passed down through generations, features a clear moral lesson (cleverness beats brute strength), and follows the structure of a legend about a heroic figure who becomes a leader.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What injustice does Keesh speak out about at the village council?

   • The men openly mock his dead father, Bok, claiming that he died only because he hunted over-keenly
   • The chief Klosh-Kwan keeps the best meat in his big igloo and hands the hunters only the old, tough cuts
   • Correct answer: He and his mother receive only the worst scraps of meat despite his father's sacrifice for the village
   • The hunters refuse to allow him to carry his father's hunting-spear and bow out onto the ice

   Keesh stands before the council and protests that he and his mother Ikeega — widow of Bok, the village's greatest hunter — are given the worst meat and forced into the meanest igloo, while his father died providing for the whole village. He demands fair portions.

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3. 3

   Question 3. How old is Keesh when the story begins?

   • Sixteen years old
   • Correct answer: Thirteen years old
   • Fourteen years old
   • Fifteen years old

   Keesh is thirteen years old — young enough that the adult hunters mock and dismiss him, which makes his eventual triumph even more impressive.

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4. 4

   Question 4. How do the village hunters react when Keesh speaks at the council?

   • Correct answer: They laugh at him, call him a child, and say a boy has no business speaking in council
   • They apologize immediately and promise that Bok's widow, Ikeega, will receive a fair share of meat
   • They invite him to join the hunting party on the very next expedition
   • They listen respectfully and ask Keesh to explain his complaint to Klosh-Kwan in detail

   The hunters mock Keesh, call him a child, and suggest that a boy has no business speaking before the men of the village. Old Ugh-Gluk mumbles that a boy should not speak in council, and Massuk demands in a loud voice whether babes in arms shall tell the men what to do.

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5. 5

   Question 5. What does "Apportioned" mean in this story?

   • Officially chosen and assigned to a particular job or position
   • Kept together as a single whole rather than divided among many people
   • Having parts that are balanced in size and correctly related to one another
   • Correct answer: Divided up and distributed according to a set share or portion

   Apportioned means divided and shared out in portions. Keesh protests that the meat is not apportioned fairly — the strong hunters take the best cuts while widows and children receive the scraps.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What does Keesh declare at the end of the council meeting?

   • That he will leave the village with his mother Ikeega and find a tribe that will treat them fairly
   • That he will speak at every council from now on, until the men agree to give his mother fair meat
   • Correct answer: That he will go out and hunt alone, and will never speak in council again until the men invite him
   • That he will take Klosh-Kwan's place as chief, and from then on every hunter must bring his kill to him

   Keesh declares he will hunt his own meat and says: 'Never shall I speak in the council again, never again till the men come to me and say, It is well, Keesh, that thou shouldst speak.' Then he leaves alone into the Arctic.

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7. 7

   Question 7. What does Keesh bring back after his first solo hunt lasting three days?

   • Correct answer: A large she-bear and her two cubs, enough meat to feed the village for some time
   • A young bear, nearly full-grown, which he cut up on the ice in true hunter fashion
   • Nothing at all, for the wild gale on the third day drove him back to the village empty-handed
   • A large male bear and his mate, enough meat to feed every family through the winter

   After three days away, a wild gale blowing on the third, Keesh returns with a she-bear and two half-grown cubs — a remarkable haul for any hunter, let alone a boy hunting alone. The village is astonished.

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8. 8

   Question 8. What are the names of the two spies sent to follow Keesh?

   • Ikeega and Massuk
   • Correct answer: Bim and Bawn
   • Ugh-Gluk and Massuk
   • Bok and Klosh-Kwan

   Bim and Bawn are chosen by the council to secretly follow Keesh and discover how a lone boy is killing so many bears. Their report shocks the village even further.

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9. 9

   Question 9. Why do the villagers come to suspect Keesh of witchcraft?

   • His meat has made several people in the village fall sick, so Ugh-Gluk says evil spirits must have cursed it
   • He openly boasts at the council that the spirits of his ancestors hunt beside him on the ice
   • The spies Bim and Bawn report that they watched him perform a strange ceremony to call evil spirits
   • Correct answer: He keeps hunting alone and bringing back bears, and no one can explain how his hunting is so rewarded

   Keesh continues hunting solo and returning with bear after bear — a mystery to the whole village. Unable to explain his success, some of the people say he hunts with evil spirits, and Ugh-Gluk charges him with witchcraft to his face.

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10. 10

    Question 10. What does "Headcraft" mean in this story?

    • Wearing a special ceremonial headdress during a tribal ritual
    • A kind of dark magic involving secret words and potions
    • The skill of reading animal tracks and trails in the snow
    • Correct answer: Using intelligence and clever thinking to solve a problem

    Headcraft means the craft of the head — intelligence and clever thinking. Keesh uses this word himself: 'It be headcraft, not witchcraft.' He solved his problem with his mind, not with magic.

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11. 11

    Question 11. What do the spies Bim and Bawn actually witness Keesh doing during his hunt?

    • Correct answer: He drops small round balls on the ice, the bear eats them, then staggers and weakens over time
    • He calls bears to him by chanting, then kills them instantly with a single spear throw
    • He hides among the rocks of the shore until the bear walks by, then spears it from behind
    • He uses a pack of trained sled dogs to corner and exhaust the bear before moving in

    The spies watch Keesh place small round balls on the ice near the bear. The bear eats them, then begins to act sick and weakened. The spies report what they saw but cannot explain it — it seems like magic to them too.

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12. 12

    Question 12. What is Keesh's actual secret — the invention he reveals to the council?

    • Small stones packed into balls of frozen blubber, which sit so heavy in the bear's belly that it cannot run
    • Correct answer: Strips of sharp whalebone coiled tightly inside balls of frozen blubber, which spring open inside the bear after the blubber melts
    • A powerful poison made from Arctic plants, hidden inside balls of raw meat to weaken the bear
    • Sharp bone-barbed arrows hidden inside frozen balls of seal meat, which cut the bear's mouth as it chews

    Keesh coils strips of sharpened whalebone tightly inside balls of frozen blubber. The bear eats the balls; the blubber melts in the bear's stomach; the whalebone springs outward and wounds the bear from the inside. The bear weakens over time, and Keesh can then kill it safely. It is pure invention — headcraft.

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13. 13

    Question 13. What is the name of the village chief in the story?

    • Massuk
    • Bawn
    • Correct answer: Klosh-Kwan
    • Ugh-Gluk

    Klosh-Kwan is the chief of the village who presides over the council meetings and ultimately comes to respect Keesh's genius.

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14. 14

    Question 14. What is the central theme of "The Story of Keesh"?

    • Revenge against those who have mistreated you is the most effective way to earn respect in a community
    • Correct answer: Intelligence and clever problem-solving can overcome physical disadvantages and social unfairness
    • Children should obey their elders and wait until they are grown men before they speak in council
    • Living in the Arctic wilderness demands brutal strength and physical endurance above all else

    The central theme is that intelligence — headcraft — can triumph over brute physical strength. Keesh succeeds not because he is the biggest or strongest, but because he is the most inventive. He also earns fair treatment through persistence and self-reliance, not through revenge.

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15. 15

    Question 15. How does Keesh divide the meat he brings back from his hunts?

    • He keeps all the meat for himself and his mother as payment for the village's past mistreatment
    • He gives the best portions to the chief Klosh-Kwan and the hunters as a peace offering
    • He trades the meat to other villages to gain wealth and political power for himself
    • Correct answer: He divides it fairly among all villagers, making sure widows and the weak receive a full share

    Keesh consistently divides meat fairly, ensuring every villager — including the weak and the widows — receives a proper share. This demonstrates his character: he wanted justice, not personal advantage, and he models the fair behavior he demanded from others.

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16. 16

    Question 16. How does London frame this story, and what effect does it create?

    • Correct answer: As an ancient legend told through generations, creating distance and giving Keesh a mythic, heroic status
    • As a first-person memoir written by Keesh himself, letting readers share his private fears and doubts
    • As an explorer's eyewitness report, making the events seem recent, factual and proven by science
    • As a report delivered by the spies Bim and Bawn to the council, making readers question whether it happened

    London uses a frame narrative drawn from oral storytelling tradition, opening with 'So long ago did he live that only the old men remember his name.' This frames the story as a legend passed down through generations, elevating Keesh to a heroic, mythic figure while honoring the oral traditions of Indigenous cultures.

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17. 17

    Question 17. What does "Council" mean in this story?

    • A government official who represents his country's citizens while living in a foreign city
    • A single trusted adviser whose duty is to give private guidance to a chief or ruler
    • Correct answer: A group of village leaders and elders who gather to discuss community decisions
    • Advice or guidance given to someone by a wise and trusted older person

    The council is the governing body of the village — a gathering of the elders and leading men who make decisions for the community. Keesh's boldness in speaking before this group as a 13-year-old is one of the story's most dramatic moments.

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18. 18

    Question 18. What do we know about Keesh's father Bok, and why does it matter?

    • He left the village voluntarily to hunt in distant lands and was never heard from again
    • Correct answer: He was the village's greatest hunter who died killing a polar bear to feed everyone during a famine, yet the village forgot his sacrifice
    • He was a greedy hunter who hoarded food, and Keesh is trying to make up for his father's bad reputation
    • He was a great shaman whose magical powers are what Keesh secretly inherited and uses to hunt

    Bok was the village's greatest hunter who died killing a polar bear to feed the community during famine — an act of pure sacrifice. The village's failure to honor his widow and son is the injustice at the heart of the story, and Bok's legacy gives Keesh both his righteous anger and his inspiration.

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19. 19

    Question 19. What is the name of Keesh's mother?

    • Bawn
    • Klosh-Kwan
    • Correct answer: Ikeega
    • Massuk

    Ikeega is Keesh's mother and the widow of Bok. Her mistreatment by the village — receiving the worst food and the meanest igloo despite her husband's sacrifice — is the injustice that drives Keesh to act.

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20. 20

    Question 20. Which type of conflict is most central to the story?

    • Correct answer: Individual vs. society — one young boy challenging the unfair customs of his entire community
    • Person vs. nature — Keesh battling the brutal cold and dangerous bears of the Arctic wilderness
    • Person vs. self — Keesh struggling internally with fear and self-doubt before his first hunt
    • Society vs. society — two Inuit villages competing for hunting grounds and food sources

    The central conflict is individual vs. society. Keesh faces an entire community that dismisses him because of his age and lacks the power to enforce fairness. His challenge is not primarily against nature but against the social order — and he overcomes it through intelligence rather than force.

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21. 21

    Question 21. What is ironic about the village accusing Keesh of witchcraft?

    • Ugh-Gluk, who accuses Keesh of witchcraft to his face, is revealed to be secretly using magic charms himself
    • The spies Bim and Bawn return convinced that evil spirits kill the bears, yet the council still elects Keesh chief
    • Keesh openly admits that his father's spirit guides his hunting, yet the villagers who feared spirits celebrate him
    • Correct answer: The 'magic' they fear is actually a simple mechanical invention that any person could have devised with careful thinking

    The irony is that the villagers attribute supernatural power to something entirely natural and clever. Keesh's technique — whalebone coiled in frozen blubber balls — is a simple, practical invention. The hunters, despite their years of experience, never thought of it because they relied on strength rather than ingenuity.

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22. 22

    Question 22. Which of these events actually happened in the story?

    • Keesh's father Bok died hunting a polar bear to feed the village during a famine.

      Happened

      This is the backstory that motivates the entire story — Bok sacrificed his life for the village, yet the village forgot his family.

    • The village gave Keesh and his mother the best meat in honor of Bok's sacrifice.

      Didn't happen

      The opposite happened — Keesh and Ikeega were given the worst, leanest scraps of meat and forced to live in the meanest igloo.

    • Keesh speaks before the council to demand fair shares of food for himself and his mother.

      Happened

      Keesh boldly addresses the council, citing his father's sacrifice and demanding that widows and children receive a fair portion of meat.

    • The hunters immediately apologize and give Keesh's family a better share of meat.

      Didn't happen

      The hunters laugh at Keesh and mock him for speaking in council as a boy. Ugh-Gluk leads the ridicule before Keesh walks out.

    • Keesh goes out hunting alone and returns after three days with a she-bear and two cubs.

      Happened

      After the failed council, Keesh sets out alone. Three days later, he returns with a she-bear and two cubs — shocking the whole village.

    • The village sends spies to follow Keesh and watch how he hunts.

      Happened

      The council sends Bim and Bawn to secretly follow Keesh and discover his secret. They watch him drop balls near a bear but cannot explain what happens.

    • The spies discover that Keesh is using a supernatural spirit to weaken the bears.

      Didn't happen

      The spies see Keesh drop small balls that the bear eats, after which it staggers — but there is no supernatural spirit involved. It is a physical invention.

    • Keesh's secret is sharp whalebone strips coiled inside frozen balls of blubber.

      Happened

      Keesh reveals that the balls contain tightly coiled whalebone. The bear eats them, the blubber melts inside the stomach, and the whalebone springs open, wounding the bear from within.

    • Keesh becomes the head man of the village and rules wisely for many years.

      Happened

      As a result of his courage, ingenuity, and fair dealing, Keesh rises to become the village's leader and governs with wisdom throughout his life.

    • Keesh uses his invention to take revenge on Ugh-Gluk for mocking him at the council.

      Didn't happen

      Keesh never takes personal revenge. He hunts, shares the meat fairly, and earns his place through merit — never targeting those who wronged him with malice.

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23. 23

    Question 23. What does the story suggest about the relationship between courage and intelligence?

    • Physical courage is more important than cleverness when a hunter faces real danger on the ice
    • Intelligence is only useful when combined with the strength and experience of adult hunters
    • Courage means accepting unfair situations quietly rather than challenging the elders of your village
    • Correct answer: True courage includes the bravery to think differently and use your mind, not just physical bravery

    London shows that Keesh's intellectual courage — inventing a new solution, challenging authority, refusing to accept injustice — is inseparable from his physical bravery in hunting alone. The story argues that real courage is not just about facing danger physically but about thinking boldly and acting on original ideas.

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24. 24

    Question 24. Why does Jack London frame the story as an ancient legend rather than a realistic modern tale?

    • The legendary frame proves that Keesh was a real chief and that every event happened exactly as told
    • The legendary frame warns readers that the tale is mostly invented and should not be treated as a serious lesson
    • Correct answer: The legendary frame gives Keesh mythic status, honors Indigenous oral traditions, and signals that the story carries a timeless moral lesson
    • London uses the frame to distance himself from the story because he was uncertain whether the events were historically accurate

    Opening with 'So long ago did he live that only the old men remember his name' signals that this is a legend with a moral, not just a plot. The legendary frame elevates Keesh to heroic status, respects the oral storytelling tradition of Arctic peoples, and tells readers to look for a universal lesson — which is that headcraft beats brute force.

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