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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 happens to Bilquis, the Queen of Sheba, at the end of Chapter 12?

2. Who kills the technology god?

3. In Chapter 16, what does Zorya Polunochnyaya turn Shadow's coin into?

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

5. Why does Atsula die before reaching America with her tribe?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is backstage?

2. How do Sam Black Crow and Shadow connect in Chapter 13?

3. What does Shadow experience on the tree on the second day of the vigil?

4. How does Czernobog take his prize from Shadow in Chapter 20?

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

6. Why does Easter not want to join Wednesday's campaign, and how does he convince he to?

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

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

9. What transformation does Laura Moon undergo in Chapter 17?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In many respects, the main character of Neil Gaiman's novel is America. In his understanding, the "melting pot" is a profoundly spiritual place because it has embraced so many different spirits. Write an essay on the topic of the novel as a treatise celebrating America's spiritual past. What faiths does the narrative encompass? What value does it assign each? Is one more important than the others? Do you think that Gaiman, a Brit, presents a largely positive or negative picture of America in AMERICAN GODS? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The premise of Neil Gaiman's novel is founded on the notion that the gods whose belief systems came to America with immigrant peoples have lived in some human form in America of centuries. As such, Gaiman is tasked with the duty of creating a human character that represents something essential about each god. Write an essay on the personification of the intangible, focusing on three belief systems:

Part 1) Czernobog and his three daughters are a Russian family living in Chicago. What belief system do these four characters represent? What duties do they perform, and how are these duties manifest in a modern America? As modern characters, how have the traditional duties of these gods adapted to a new era?

Part 2) Mr. Nancy is clearly intended to represent the African god Anansi. Describe Mr. Nancy, both his physical appearance and the occupation he has in modern America. How does this coalesce with his role as the African trickster god? When Shadow enters the realm of the gods, how does Mr. Nancy's appearance change to reflect Anansi's true form?

Part 3) Ibis and Jacquel represent two Egyptian gods in the novel. List every aspect of their personalities that links them with this. When Shadow undergoes his passage into death, how do Jacquel and Ibis play an integral role?

Essay Topic 3

The mythos created by Neil Gaiman includes a backstage world, one that exists concurrent with our own. Write an essay about his world, examining its connection to humanity. How does it appear in relation our mortal existence? How do the old gods look in this backstage world? What about human beings? How are they affected by this backstage world? Is the backstage connected in any way with the afterlife?

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