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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 is the result of people working less?

2. What device does Rikki Stormgren take with him on board the invaders' ship?

3. What type of books does Rupert Boyce collect?

4. How does Pierre Duval conclude that Rikki Stormgren can see Karellen?

5. What is Alexander Wainwright's chief issue with the occupation by the alien invaders?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why are newspapers virtually obsolete in 2050?

2. What biblical story does Jan Rodricks refer to in his letter to his sister, and why is that significant?

3. What does the arrival of the Overlords do to religion?

4. How is Rikki Stormgren freed from the group that has kidnapped him?

5. Who are the Overlords, and where are they found at the beginning of Chapter 2?

6. Who is Rikki Stormgren, and what is his role?

7. What game does Rupert Boyce play with his remaining guests, and why?

8. What is Karellen's philosophy about world order that he shares with Rikki Stormgren?

9. What does Alexander Wainwright believe the Overlords are waiting for before revealing themselves?

10. What does Reinhold Hoffmann see in the night sky over the island of Taratura, and what does it imply?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The last few chapters of "Childhood's End" are tinged with definite melancholy and a sense of loss. Discuss George Greggson and Jean Morrel's feelings as their two children seem to be slipping away. Discuss if this is akin to the grief someone would feel at the death of a loved one. Compare the sense of loss they feel with the emotions Karellen seems to be developing toward the end of the story. Are the two children really "lost"? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 2

One easily identifiable image in our culture is that of Satan, with horns, hooves, wings, pointed tail, etc. Discuss the irony in Karellen's appearance as the devil to the historical role the devil has played in Western culture.

Essay Topic 3

Karellen and the Overlords have a definite plan when it comes to the establishment of a Utopian state. In light of the entire novel, discuss why the Overlords have a compulsion to reform Earth's society. Consider the conditions ushered in by the Overlords - transforming Earth into Utopia. Explain why most humans are willing to embrace this new state. Compare and contrast the Overlords' tactful use of power vs. the use of brute force. Describe which method you feel was most appropriate for humanity in the book, assuming that the Overlords could have chosen to use force.

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