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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 name of Shevek's teacher?

2. What does Shedek wake up with on his first day in Urras?

3. From what country is Chifoilisk?

4. What was Odo during his lifetime?

5. Where does Shevek have to go to study?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Shevek's trip to the retail district of Nio Esseia poke holes in his belief that Urrasti society is all-providing?

2. Why is it important the Hainishman leaves his ship to look around Anarres?

3. Why it is important for Shevek and Takver not to "own each other"?

4. What does Shevek hope to achieve with his printing syndicate?

5. What is the difference between Shevek and Tirn's view on why they are forbidden to interact with Urrasti?

6. How has Bedap's views changed since Shevek last met him?

7. In what way does the demonstration wake up the rebels?

8. Why is the return of the character Bedap important?

9. In what way do Shevek and Takver deal differently with the drought?

10. Why does Shevek not see his apparent freedom as a good thing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The wall is an important metaphor in the story and means different things at different points.

1) What does the wall that surrounds the Port of Anarres symbolize?

2) What is the significance of the prison walls that surround Kadagv?

3) What is the link between the wall and Shevek's parents?

4) What do you think the overall meaning of the wall is?

Essay Topic 2

How does the novel reflect the 1960s and 1970s concerns?

Essay Topic 3

Compare Urras and Anarres. What are the negative and positive points of each society? Are there similar countries in our reality? What are their relationships?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 769 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample