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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the Old Man by the Fire say about stories of children?

2. What does Ilmarinen tell his metallic bride when he wakes up beside her?

3. How do Ilmarinen, Lemminkainen, and Vainamoinen get the Sampo from Louhi?

4. Who survives Untamo's attack on Kalervo's home?

5. What does Untamo ultimately do with Kullervo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Is the Kalevala for children or for adults? Is it for everyone? Use examples from the tales to describe what the Kalevala offers for either audience.

Essay Topic 2

What role does marriage and courtship play in the Kalevala? Cite three instances of marriage or courtship and describe the consequences of each. Does marriage settle or unsettle relationships between characters? Is it promising or threatening? What is at stake when someone proposes marriage?

Essay Topic 3

Do the characters in the Kalevala show personal growth over the course of the tales? Do they simply represent eternal personalities? Are they unchanging gods, or are they human beings who learn and grow? Answer with specific examples from the text.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 309 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample