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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. How do Katsa and Bitterblue disembark?

2. What astonishes Bitterblue about Katsa's scratches?

3. What does Po's castle appear to be as they finally approach it from sea?

4. How is Po when Katsa finds him?

5. What does Po sense from Ashen before she dies?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Po tell Katsa about his attempt on Leck?

2. What do Katsa and Bitterblue do when they arrive in Monsea? Who goes with them and why?

3. How do Po and Katsa find a place for Po to hide?

4. Why do Po and Katsa leave for the forest early and what do they see when they reach the edge of the forest?

5. How does Po begin to recover some of his self-confidence and where do he and Katsa go in the spring?

6. How does Katsa figure out that Po is blind, what does she do when she realizes it and what is Po's response?

7. What do Katsa and Bitterblue do on the ship, why does Katsa have control of Po's castle, and what does Po's castle look like? How do Katsa and Bitterblue get to the castle?

8. What does Po need to do now that Bitterblue has told them what happened, what does he leave Katsa and why?

9. What happens when Katsa and Bitterblue first arrive at Po's castle?

10. Who returns to Monsea with Katsa and Bitterblue and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and sometimes it is the other way around. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think "Graceling" is? Explain your response

Essay Topic 2

There are a number of interesting questions raised by "Graceling", questions that Cashore most likely want readers to consider and think through carefully. Discuss the following:

1. What does the term "author agenda" mean?

2. Name one idea/concept you think may have been a part of the Cashore's agenda. Analyze that idea throughout the book and discuss Cashore's probable agenda concerning that idea.

2. Do you think writers who have an agenda for writing should point it out in a preface?

3. How often do you think fiction is written with a clear agenda in mind by the author?

4. Research the life of Cashore and see if/where her life may have influenced her writing.

Essay Topic 3

Most fantasy novels, and in some sense, most novels, deal with the concept of good and evil. Discuss the following:

1. What are the forces allied with "good" in the world of "Graceling", and what forces are allied with "evil"?

2. How does one distinguish good from evil? How is good distinguished from evil in "Graceling's" world?

3. Is there a universal consensus on what constitutes good or evil? Why or why not?

4. Do you generally agree with the ideas of good and evil in "Graceling"? Why or why not?

5. What are several examples of good and evil in your culture? Do you agree with these ideas? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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