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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 injures Dr. Cudworth when he goes to look for Dr. Poole?

2. When Loola is assigned to her new job, who acts as a comforting friend and confidante?

3. How does Dr. Poole react to Polly's child being killed?

4. To what university is Dr. Poole assigned?

5. In what year was William Tallis born?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the Arch Vicar defend his religion's practices with respect to Dr. Poole's own religion?

2. What is the Arch Vicar's theory of history? What does this have to do with the "Order of Things"?

3. Describe the final scene of the film involving William Tallis' gravestone.

4. What is the Arch Vicar's explanation for why his people worship Belial, all the while acknowledging the being's evilness.

5. What commentary does the script narrator offer about joy (as described in a poem by Shelley) and the possibility of joy in the ape-mind?

6. What discussion do the Chief, Arch Vicar, and Dr. Poole have concerning food production?

7. Does the Arch Vicar wish for Dr. Poole to join the church? Why or why not?

8. Describe the moment in which Dr. Poole and Loola discover romantic feelings for one another, rather than lust.

9. What restrictions are placed on mating in the primitive community? What happens to those who dare to disobey?

10. What difference does the narrator make between conscience and customs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The poetry of Percy Shelley is a crucial element in the novel. Examine the passages of Shelley's poetry engraved on William Tallis' gravestone. What does this poetry mean? Why was it chosen for the tombstone? What overall message should the reader take away from this poetry?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the Hots Community. What are their beliefs? How were they formed? What is their culture like? Why does Dr. Poole wish to flee to this community?

Essay Topic 3

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.

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This section contains 910 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample