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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What reason does the Abbot give for disbelieving the story of the pilgrim?

2. What term for the unlearned do the people of the Simplification embrace as a complimentary term?

3. What does Apollo agree to do?

4. How long is the journey from the abbey to New Rome?

5. Why does the Pope say Francis' time creating the illustrated blueprint was not wasted?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Francis interpret the inscription "Transistorized Control System for Unit six-B"?

2. Describe the pilgrim.

3. What physical characteristics to Minnesotans have, and what is the likely cause of them?

4. Describe Francis's life before the monastery.

5. Describe the Poet's living conditions.

6. Why do the monks wear burlap habits?

7. Why were papers burned during the Simplification?

8. Why are a shopping list and casual notes treasured finds for Brother Francis?

9. What does Francis realize about the Pope and the Vatican, on examining the Pope's cassock and the surroundings closely?

10. Describe Abbot Paulo's health problem.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the nature and meaning of ritual in the novel? What is the purpose of the elaborate ritual of canonization, although the Pope and Vatican are poor? What are the rituals of the monks, and do they serve to preserve knowledge or to hide it? What is the purpose of Francis' ritual fast in the desert? Are these and other rituals in the novel effective? What happens when ritual loses its original meaning?

Essay Topic 2

Does the novel contain miracles, or is it ambiguous? Describe in your discussion possible miraculous events in the novel, including the life of the Old Jew and the actions of Rachel at the end of the novel. What are the possible natural explanations of these events? If these events are miraculous, what is their purpose and meaning, and what do they say about the nature of God?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss culture in the novel.

Part 1) How do cultures and cultural values change over time? Discuss the prevailing culture before the Flame Deluge and during each of the three parts of the novel.

Part 2) How do cultures clash in the novel? How do cultural clashes lead to war? How do cultural clashes determine cultural values and future development?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 790 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample