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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. Where does Shadow drive Mr. Nancy at the beginning of Chapter 19?

2. What news about Wednesday do Czernobog and Mr. Nancy bring to Shadow in Chapter 13?

3. In what southern state is Rock City located?

4. From what period is the Lakeside book of minutes that Shadow purchases in Chapter 11?

5. What does Wednesday admonish Shadow not to dream about in Chapter 11?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the war begin in Chapter 12?

2. How does Shadow's journey in Chapter 16 end?

3. What do Mr. Nancy and Shadow do in Chapter 19?

4. What betrayal occurs in the ranks of the new gods at the end of Chapter 17?

5. How does Laura Moon kill Mr. World in Chapter 18?

6. What divine message does Shadow recall in Chapter 19?

7. What major plot development does Shadow witness from his jail television in Chapter 13?

8. What is the nature of Wednesday's vigil?

9. Describe Shadow's interaction with Zorya Polunochnyaya in Chapter 16?

10. How does Shadow Moon interact with the camp of the new gods in Chapter 14?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Neil Gaiman's novel is not a historical document, but he does provide the occasional, fictionalized explanation of historical events.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.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the role of dreams in Neil Gaiman's novel. Shadow has a dream nearly every chapter. Who are the recurring figures in these dreams, and what messages do they deliver? Describe how these dreams serve to foreshadow events and drop clues for the reader? At any point, does the dream logic find its way into the waking hours of Shadow's life? How does Shadow as a character react to these dreams? Does he question their validity?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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