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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. Does Qfwfq worry when he realizes he's completely forgotten what his sign is like?

2. What does Qfwfq complain about the Z'zu family wanting to do?

3. What does Qfwfq make in his secret storeroom?

4. Who does Grandma Bb'b think stole her cushion?

5. How old is Pfwfp, compared to Qfwfq?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Qfwfq's father says they are hitting something, why doesn't Qfwfq understand what he means?

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

3. What are Ayl and Qfwfq's attitudes toward difference and sameness?

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

5. What happens to Mrs. Ph(i)nK_0 at the end of the story?

6. Describe the visualization that all the people in the point have of Mrs. Ph(i)nK_0 that leads to the Big Bang.

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

8. How is the food that the characters collect from the moon made?

9. How does Mrs. Vhd Vhd act during her time trapped on the moon?

10. Why does Qfwfq say that the sign is more important than its function of marking a place?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Characters in COSMICOMICS use reason and logic to different degrees to try to understand the universe. Discuss the role of reason and logic in COSMICOMICS.

1) How does Qfwfq use reason and logic to understand the universe in "How Much Shall We Bet?" What does Qfwfq miss about understanding the universe, through using reason and logic?

2) How does the narrator use reason and logic to understand the path of his fall and how to interact with other characters in "The Form of Space"? What role does reason and logic play in the narrator's personal relationships with the other characters?

3) How does Qfwfq's great-uncle use reason and logic to defend his position in "The Aquatic Uncle"? Why does his reason and logic break down when he is asked to make decisions about events that take place on land?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout COSMICOMICS, Qfwfq feels judged by others, and characters enter into petty squabbles with each other. Discuss judgment throughout COSMICOMICS.

1) In "A Sign in Space," why does Qfwfq feel judged? What reasons does he have to feel that others are judging him? How does he judge himself?

2) In "All at One Point," how do the characters judge and criticize each other? Why is Mrs. Ph(i)NK_0 immune to this judgmental behavior?

3) How do Qfwfq and his uncle judge each other in "The Aquatic Uncle"? Where do their opinions of each other stem from?

4) In "The Light-Years," why does the narrator feel judged? How does he judge himself? How does his perception of being judged affect his actions and his relationship with others?

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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