Question

read the excerpt from leslie marmon silkos story \the man to send rain clouds.\

his fingers were stiff, and it took him a long time to twist the lid off the holy water. drops of water fell on the red blanket and soaked into dark icy spots. he sprinkled the grave and the water disappeared almost before it touched the dim, cold sand; it reminded him of something-he tried to remember what it was, because he thought if he could remember he might understand this. he sprinkled more water; he shook the container until it was empty, and the water fell through the light from sundown like august rain that fell while the sun was still shining, almost evaporating before it touched the wilted squash flowers.

what inference can be made about father pauls motives for going with leon to sprinkle holy water on teofilos grave?

he hopes that teofilos family will allow him to hold a funeral mass.
he hopes to integrate his beliefs into theirs as much as possible.
he is performing last rites for teofilo without the knowledge of teofilos family.
he is curious about the funeral customs of the pueblo people.

Explanation:

Analyze the character's actions and thoughts

Using the Pueblo Literature Analysis knowledge point, we examine Father Paul's actions in the excerpt. He is sprinkling holy water on Teofilo's grave, but he struggles to connect this Catholic ritual with the Native American context. He tries to remember what the disappearing water reminds him of, hoping that if he remembers, "he might understand this." This internal struggle highlights his desire to bridge the gap between his Christian faith and the Pueblo traditions.

Evaluate the options based on textual evidence

Using the Literary Inference knowledge point, we analyze the choices:

• He hopes that Teofilo's family will allow him to hold a funeral Mass. (Incorrect: The family has already declined a traditional Catholic Mass, and he is currently performing the sprinkling of holy water at the grave instead.)
• He hopes to integrate his beliefs into theirs as much as possible. (Correct: By agreeing to sprinkle the holy water on the grave—a Christian element requested by Leon to ensure Teofilo "won't be thirsty"—Father Paul is actively trying to blend or integrate Christian sacraments with the Pueblo funeral customs to find a common ground of understanding.)
• He is performing last rites for Teofilo without the knowledge of Teofilo's family. (Incorrect: Leon specifically came to Father Paul and requested him to bring the holy water, so the family is fully aware.)
• He is curious about the funeral customs of the Pueblo people. (Incorrect: While he is trying to understand, his primary motive for participating is pastoral and spiritual integration rather than mere intellectual curiosity.)

Answer:

• He hopes that Teofilo's family will allow him to hold a funeral Mass.
• He hopes to integrate his beliefs into theirs as much as possible. (Correct answer)
• He is performing last rites for Teofilo without the knowledge of Teofilo's family.
• He is curious about the funeral customs of the Pueblo people.