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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. Who kidnaps Dr. Poole?

2. What event resulted in the destruction of a majority of mankind in the screenplay?

3. William Tallis died from ___________.

4. Who is living on Tallis' Cottonwood Ranch when it is visited by the filmmaker(s)?

5. The primitives' religious leader presses a young woman about what matter, eventually beating her?

Short Essay Questions

1. List the allusions/references found in this section of the text.

2. Why does the Chief order his gravediggers to bury Dr. Poole?

3. Describe the moment involving a religious rite practiced by the Satanic Science Practitioner.

4. What are the Purification Ceremonies?

5. How do Bob Briggs and the narrator initially become interested in "Ape and Essence"?

6. What is the New Zealand Rediscovery Expedition, and what is its mission?

7. What does Bob Briggs ask Lou Lublin for, and why? How does this relate to a religious painting?

8. Why was Gandhi killed according to the narrator?

9. Describe the scene in which baboons are gathered at a palace.

10. What is the importance of where Tallis preferred to be buried?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Similar to Huxley's own Brave New World, Ape and Essence is concerned with the danger of totalitarian states. Explain how Huxley makes this fear manifest and how world events in Huxley's life encouraged Huxley to pursue cautionary tales about totalitarianism.

Essay Topic 2

Explain why Huxley may have chosen to start Ape and Essence on the date of Gandhi's assassination. Explain Gandhi's historical significance. What kind of insight might an understanding of Gandhi's teaching have on some of the themes and messages of the book?

Essay Topic 3

What is the role of Science in Ape and Essence? How does science drive the plot? Character motivations? How does Huxley regard the pursuit of Science? Is science a danger as well as a potential boon? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 968 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample