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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 does Old Thrashberg say life will be like without Arthur?

2. What food do the aliens feed Tricia?

3. How many days are there in a year on Lamuella?

4. How many knives does the Sandwich Maker use?

5. What color is the Vogon constructor ship?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the new Guide demonstrate with a laser and the rain?

2. Why is Ford worried about the new Guide?

3. What does Random find at the crash site?

4. How does Ford react when he first sees a pikka bird?

5. Describe the monument that marks the location where the species Vogon Vogonblurtus first appeared.

6. What does the owner of the spaceship that Ford tries to buy tell him?

7. How is the Earth finally destroyed?

8. How does the interview between Tricia and Random go?

9. How does Ford suggest getting off Arthur's new home planet?

10. What worries Ford about what's happened during his visit to the Guide?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mostly Harmless is a humorous novel. Discuss the author's humor and how he uses humor in the novel.

1) What kinds of humor does the author use? How are the characters, situations, and ideas in the novel humorous?

2) How does the ending, and the destruction of Earth, fit in with the humorous nature of the novel?

3) What kinds of liberties does humor allow the author to take? How does humor allow the author to create wildly improbable situations and events?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss identity in the novel.

1) How do Tricia and Trillian, as two aspects of the same person, exemplify what creates identity?

2) How does Random, as a person who feels without an identity, exemplify what creates identity?

3) What does limited perspective have to do with identity? How does a sense of belonging and a place in the universe relate to identity?

Essay Topic 3

The novel is science fiction and extensively uses science ideas and concepts. Discuss the role of science in the novel.

1) What scientific concepts does the author use in the novel? What types of scientific ideas does he emphasize?

2) What is the author's view of science? How is science positive and negative? How do the characters view science and technology?

3) How does the novel fit into the science fiction genre?

(see the answer keys)

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