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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. Which god tosses the spear dedicating the battle to Odin?

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

3. In Chapter 15, which Egyptian god tells Shadow that the battle of the gods is about to begin?

4. What state does Whiskey Jack tell Shadow to visit if he wants to find Thunderbirds?

5. How does Hinzelmann say he became a god?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. How does the war begin in Chapter 12?

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

6. Why have children been disappearing for years in Lakewood?

7. What is Loki and Wednesday's plan for the battle?

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

9. What connection forms between Wututu and Agasu when they are taken to America?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The plot of Gaiman's novel can be viewed as an epic amalgamation of many cultures in the arena of one country. On the other hand, the novel can be viewed as a very personal story about one man's journey out of despair. Write an essay chronicling Shadow Moon's character arc. How is he denied any objective by circumstance at the outset of the story? Why does he join Wednesday's campaign, and over the course of it, why does he choose not to commit suicide? By the end of the novel, has Shadow reached some state of new contentment?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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