A Canticle for Leibowitz | Short Essay Answer Key

Short Essay Answer Key

1. Describe the pilgrim.

The pilgrim is an old man, skinny, with a spiked staff, a hat, a beard, sandals, and water skin. He has a burlap wrap around his waist and looks weak.

2. What stops Brother Francis from sharing the pilgrim's food?

Brother Francis is supposed to be fasting, and his fear of the Abbot and defying his order stops him from eating.

3. What does Brother Francis need to protect himself against in the desert?

Brother Francis needs to protect himself from wild animals, including wolves, and from the heat.

4. What is Brother Francis seeking in the desert?

Brother Francis is looking for a sign of his vocation as a monk. His fast is a spiritual ordeal.

5. Why were papers burned during the Simplification?

People considered that technology had brought on the nuclear war that devastated the world, and they wanted...
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