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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 can a person see from the cafe on the corner of Kramagasse and Theaterplatz?

2. In the third Interlude, where are Einstein and Besso?

3. What animal are people who heed time compared to in the 3 June 1905 dream?

4. In the "17 June 1905" dream, why is the baker yelling at a woman?

5. Why does the man at the graveside ("2 June 1905" dream) not weep for his friend?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the second Interlude, to what does Besso compare Einstein's present health?

2. Why does the young man in the 17 June 1905 dream leave his lover and tell her he cannot see her again?

3. How does the narrator describe the phenomenon of people only living one day in the 3 June 1905 dream?

4. How does the narrator describe a world without a future?

5. What is the biggest problem associated with living in the 20 May 1905 world?

6. In the 22 May 1905 dream, what happens for those who have seen a glimpse of their future?

7. Why do sunset and sunrise babies become frightened when the light changes?

8. What options do people have when it comes to reading their Book of Life?

9. Describe the cafe that stands on the corner of Kramgasse and Theaterplatz.

10. Why does the man at the graveside refuse to weep for his deceased friend?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The end of the novel can be very confusing for some readers. Einstein is said to feel empty after giving his theory to the typist.

- For those readers that were confused by this, discuss why this statement is confusing. What makes you confused about the ending? What could have been done to help you understand the reasoning behind the ending?

- For those readers that were not confused by the ending, discuss the ending for you. Why did ending the novel this way bring closure for you? How did this ending make sense for you as a reader?

Cite specific examples from the text to support your responses.

Essay Topic 2

Take into consideration the many different representations of time described in the novel. Find the most realistic representation of time, described in a dream, and build a case as to why it is the most reasonable representation of what time could be. Be sure to use textual based examples to prove why this representation could exist in reality.

Essay Topic 3

In the novel, do you believe the past is just as important as the present and future? Why? What evidence from the novel leads you to believe this? Cite specific examples from the text to support your responses.

(see the answer keys)

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