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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 talent does Thothmes have?

2. What present does Ptahor send to Kipa the day after he leaves her house?

3. What is on the roof at the inn where Sinuhe stays in Babylon?

4. What does Sinuhe read for a stranger in the City of the Dead?

5. Who played with Amenhotep like a sister when they were children?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Sinuhe feel that Mitanni is doomed? Where is Mitanni in relation to other countries? Why does this mean extinction for these people?

2. As the novel progresses, Kaptah begins to refer to the property of Sinuhe as "our" as in "our" house, "our" scarab and even "our" gold. What does this indicate to the reader? Does Sinuhe seem aware of these changes? If he does, does he care? Why? Why not? What does this say about their relationship?

3. On the night that Ammon is supposed to appear before the students in the House of Life, what happens to Sinuhe? What does he do that is different from his classmates? Why does he tell the truth to the priest in the morning? What does this say about his basic character?

4. Explain the process that Sinuhe is taught in school about life after death. Who is Osiris? Who is the Devourer? What does the Devourer look like? Who is the Backward-Gazer? Why is this important knowledge for the average Egyptian?

5. Why does Senmut take Sinuhe to meet Inteb, the warrior? What lesson does Senmut want Sinuhe to leave with?

6. By his description of his servant, Keftiu, Sinuhe's opinion of women comes to light. What does he think of Keftiu? What does this tell the reader about his opinion of women in general?

7. Sinuhe meets a man in the City of Dead when he buries his parents. What is this man's story a moral for in the story? What lesson does this impart to Sinuhe or to the reader? What message is the author trying to tell?

8. When Sinuhe says that a man who knows the Babylonian language can be understood throughout the world, what does this say about Babylon? If Egypt is the most powerful land on earth, then why would the Egyptian language be the most important language? What does this say about politics of the time?

9. What message do Sinuhe's parents leave behind for him? How does this make him feel? How do his parents die? Why do they do this?

10. What is Ptahor's job? Is this a cure for any disease or is this a quick way to die? Why do you think Ptahor is called to the pharaoh?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Kaptah hide Sinuhe's cane? Is there a scene where Sinuhe beats Kaptah? Why does Kaptah not want to remember his origins? Why does he always act like he is trying to forget some horrible act done by Sinuhe towards him?

Essay Topic 2

Often in the novel a swallow or bird flies around in and out of scenes. What do you think this is a symbol of? Note when this happens in the novel and see if there is a pattern?

Essay Topic 3

The names Ramses in mentioned twice in the novel; once as a far away leader and once as Horemheb's son. There was a very famous pharaoh names Ramses. Do you think either of these men were that pharaoh? Which one do you believe it was?

(see the answer keys)

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