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| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Who offers the primary point of view in Chapter 14?
2. Why is Karellen impressed with the whale display in Chapter 13?
3. What island do George Greggson and Jean Morrel visit?
4. What do George Greggson and Jean Morrel spend as much time as possible doing?
5. The greatest achievement of the people in the island community comes in what field?
Short Essay Questions
1. What happens at the council meeting between the leaders of New Athens and the Overlord "Inspector," Thanthalteresco? How does Thanthalteresco respond to Dr. Sen's comments?
2. What events are foreshadowed when the Inspector shares his report with Karellen after meeting with the New Athens council?
3. What is symbolic about the whale and the squid, especially in light of the end of the novel?
4. Why is Karellen sad at the end of the novel?
5. Why was New Athens founded, by whom, and what is its greatest artistic achievement?
6. How does Jan Rodricks respond when approaching Earth on his return, and why?
7. Describe the response and mindset of the people of New Athens after the children are evacuated.
8. What is significant about the results of the tsunami on George Greggson's family?
9. What is ironic about Jan Rodricks' return to Earth?
10. What does Karellen reveal during his weekly press conference in Chapter 14, and how does he justify the Overlords' actions based on their revelation during the conference?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Earth, as the characters in the novel know it, ends. In the story arc, identify when the end of mankind becomes inevitable. Discuss whether or not the novel could have ended any other way. Are George Greggson, Jean Morrel, and Jan Rodricks tragic figures, or are they heroes? Defend your answer. If Clarke had asked you to title his novel, would you have chosen "Childhood's End" or "Childhood's Beginning"? Explain your answer.
Essay Topic 2
The Overlord "inspector," Thanthalteresco, is sent to observe activities on New Athens. Thanthalteresco, along with Karellen and Rashaverak, become the central Overlord characters of the novel, each with distinctive roles. Compare and contrast the work and relationships of these three Overlords with humans, noting their unique roles. Thanthalteresco seems especially interested in George Greggson's son, Jeffrey. Describe the relationship, emphasizing its positive or negative aspects. Karellen's attitude toward humans seems to change over the course of the novel. Describe that attitude, and explain why it may have changed entirely during the arc of the story.
Essay Topic 3
Jan Rodricks decides to hide himself in a whale display that will be loaded on board the Overlords' ship and transported to their planet. Discuss the price he has to pay relative to friends and loved ones by going through with his plot. Was it "worth it"? Explain. Rodricks also refers to the story of Jonah and the whale, another one of several biblical references in the novel. Discuss what parallels to the biblical account he sees in his own life.
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This section contains 952 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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