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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. How can Dr. Poole's emotions at seeing the mating rituals be best described?

2. According to Dr. Poole, what happens when "evil is carried to the limit"?

3. At the end of the novel, where are Dr. Poole and Loola headed?

4. Whose tombstone do Dr. Poole and Loola discover in the desert?

5. When Loola is assigned to her new job, at which location does she work?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

3. According to the Arch Vicar, did Belial need the atomic bomb to assure the destruction of mankind?

4. Describe the scene, including the chanting, taking place in the Los Angeles Coliseum at the height of the Purification Ceremonies.

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

6. What is the Arch Vicar's stance on the reality of demonic possession?

7. How does the poetry of Percy Shelley contribute to the development of romance between Dr. Poole and Loola?

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

9. What scientific reason does the script narrator give for the restrictive mating season of the primitives?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many of the philosophical passages in Ape and Essence are devoted to the nature of evil. According to Dr. Poole, what is the nature of evil? What is the nature of evil to the Arch Vicar? In each man's view, what is man's relationship to Belial/evil? Can man improve his station or somehow overcome evil eventually?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the relationship between Dr. Poole and Loola. Why are they compatible souls? What aspects of humanity do they share? Why is Loola different from the other primitives? What does Loola have that Miss Ethel Hook does not?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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