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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. Who knows about Mrs. Ph(i)nK_0's sexual affair?

2. Which character accidentally floats up in the air?

3. How many signs were created before Qfwfq's sign?

4. Who is Qfwfq in love with?

5. In Qfwfq and Pfwfp's game, how many old hydrogen atoms is a new hydrogen atom worth?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the family and the planet after G'd(w)^n leaves?

2. What does Ayl do when she comes from her hiding place with Qfwfq and sees the colors?

3. How does Qfwfq react after he sees that his sign is obliterated?

4. What object's beauty do Qfwfq and Ayl disagree about?

5. What outstanding physical characteristics does Mr. Pber^t Pber^d have?

6. How is Qfwfq and Pfwfp's final game resolved?

7. What does Granny say has happened after the darkness comes again at the end of the story?

8. Why does Qfwfq say he could not make an accurate guess as to how many beings their were at the point before the Big Bang?

9. What does Qfwfq try to communicate with Ayl when they first meet?

10. Describe what Qfwfq thinks as he nears the end of the first galactic revolution and believes he's about to see his sign again.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The stories in COSMICOMICS take place at different points of the universe, where distance and space play an important role. Discuss space and distance in COSMICOMICS.

1) What role does space and distance play in "All at One Point"? How does the confinement of a single point of space compare to the expanded universe and affect characters' perceptions and behaviors?

2) What role does space and distance play in "The Distance of the Moon" and "The Form of Space"? How does distance relate to love and attraction?

3) What role does space and distance play in "Games Without End?" What does the ending of the story say about space and distance?

Essay Topic 2

In several of the stories, a family forms the central group of characters. Discuss the portrayal and role of family in COSMICOMICS.

1) Discuss the family in "At Daybreak." What role does each family member play in the family as a whole? How does being a family affect the characters' interactions?

2) How are the communities in "The Distance of the Moon" and "All at One Point" similar to and different from families?

3) What role does family play in "The Aquatic Uncle"? How does the familial relationship between Qfwfq and his uncle affect the story?

4) What role does family play in "The Dinosaurs"? How does Fern-flower's relationship to her brother affect the story? What is the import of Qfwfq fathering a son?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout COSMICOMICS, perception affects and often creates reality. Discuss the relationship of perception and reality in COSMICOMICS.

1) How do others' opinions of Qfwfq (or the unnamed narrator) shape his opinion of himself and his actions in Calvino's stories?

2) In "All at One Point," how does shared perception create reality? Why is shared perception more powerful than individual perception?

3) How do the different characters' perceptions of change in "At Daybreak" and "Without Colors" affect their experience of reality?

(see the answer keys)

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