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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 Richie Hinzelmann do for a living?

2. According to Wednesday, what do the new gods want from the old gods?

3. Over what does Mr. Ibis hold dominion?

4. At what type of business does Shadow have a job waiting when he gets out of prison?

5. What happens to the child in Shadow's dream at the beginning of Chapter 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Shadow and Mad Sweeney interact during their night of drinking?

2. How does Wednesday explain to Shadow what happened at the restaurant after the summit at Odin's Hall?

3. How does Shadow deal with the approach of police on the scam in Chapter 5?

4. Who do Shadow and Wednesday meet in Chicago?

5. How is does Laura Moon find her way to Shadow's hotel in Chapter 3?

6. How is Odin martyred?

7. How does Essie Tregowen make her way to America in Chapter 4?

8. Why is Shadow put off by Mr. Wednesday?

9. How does Shadow discover that he needs to go to Cairo in Chapter 7?

10. What happens to the Vikings in America at the end of Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Shadow Moon has two relationships that are juxtaposed in the novel: one with Wednesday and one with Laura Moon. Write an essay about this juxtaposition. Of which relationship is Shadow inherently more wary? Which one does he pursue with more commitment? How does each relationship contain a major betrayal? In the end, is Shadow stronger for his weathering both of these unhealthy relationships?

Essay Topic 2

The question of human sacrifice's validity as a divine rite emerges in several different forms throughout the novel. Gaiman's opinions regarding it seem conflicted. Write an essay on the topic of human-sacrifice, focusing on three instances of it throughout the novel:

Part 1) Write a paragraph about the arrival of the Vikings in America. Why do they build a hall to Odin as soon as they arrive, and how is their killing of a scraeling connected to this celebration of Odin? What purpose does it serve within the framework of this group's faith? In the end, how do the Vikings suffer as a result of this sacrifice?

Part 2) Why does Shadow choose to sacrifice his life for Wednesday? What does he intend to achieve, and does he succeed? Write a paragraph on this topic, noting the arguments against self-sacrifice made to him on the tree. How does he respond to these entreaties?

Part 3) What is Richie Hinzelmann's connection with human sacrifice? Why does he partake in this practice? In this paragraph, include Shadow's reaction to Hinzelmann's activity. What does this reaction say about the author's feelings about human sacrifice?

Essay Topic 3

Neil Gaiman's novel is not a historical document, but he does provide the occasional, fictionalized explanation of historical events. Write an essay examining three examples of raw historical information. How does Gaiman use a fiction writer's syntax to make these bits of information more palatable? What is their tone? What character does each historical digression follow? What, in the end, is the reader left feeling about the introduction of a given set of beliefs to America?

Part 1) The introduction of peoples across the ice bridge.

Part 2) The introduction of British indentured servants to America.

Part 3) The arrival of African slaves to America.

(see the answer keys)

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