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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is likely to cause an audience to connect with a character emotionally?
(a) Appealing characteristics and/or values.
(b) Unexplained characteristics and/or thoughts.
(c) Unexplained characteristics and/or values.
(d) Appealing characteristics and/or thoughts.

2. What do the two questions the author poses at the end of Chapter 2 add to a novel?
(a) Practical interest for the characters and events.
(b) Practical interest for the background of a character.
(c) Dramatic interest for the characters and events.
(d) Dramatic interest for the background of a character.

3. Which one of the following is not an example the author uses as a way to add emotional intensity to a character?
(a) Mistakes.
(b) Symbols.
(c) Omens.
(d) Signs.

4. What is milieu?
(a) The physical, historical, or social context.
(b) The mental, cultural, or social context.
(c) The physical, cultural, or social context.
(d) The mental, historical, or social context.

5. In order to avoid being boring, what does a character have to be?
(a) Passive and mysterious.
(b) Familiar and idiosyncratic.
(c) Aggressive and mysterious.
(d) Unfamiliar and idiosyncratic.

Short Answer Questions

1. What type of imperfections can be appealing to readers?

2. What does having more complex characters lead to?

3. How does the author define an idea?

4. What must accompany self-sacrifice in an engaging character?

5. Which one of the following is not an example of a story where an idea is the primary narrative?

Short Essay Questions

1. Is it possible to use less characterization in a story?

2. As explained in the Introduction, on what are the author's suggestions based?

3. What is the intent of the author in "Characters and Viewpoint"?

4. How does a writer create a strong initial impression for a character?

5. What are the main functions of major and minor characters, and how can a writer achieve them?

6. What techniques can a writer use to raise the emotional stakes?

7. What is the main point of Chapter 9, "The Hero and the Common Man"?

8. What does a character who becomes more heroic convey to the reader?

9. What are some characteristics that make characters more appealing in general?

10. In what way can the story itself provide a writer with additional characters?

(see the answer keys)

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