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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 reward does Henderson receive in the army?

2. To where does Ricey take a day trip?

3. What is Henderson wounded by in the war?

4. What does Ricey see in the back of a car?

5. With what is the pool infested?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way is Willatale sympathetic to Henderson's plight?

2. Why does Henderson feel depressed after the wrestling match?

3. Describes Henderson's life so far.

4. In what way do Lily and Henderson's opinions differ on the portrait?

5. How does Henderson describe himself?

6. Why are the villagers so upset when Henderson arrives in Chapter Five?

7. How does Dick die?

8. What do Lily and Henderson do in Paris?

9. How are Henderson and Romilayu greeted at the Wariri village?

10. Describe how Henderson kills the frogs.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Henderson the Rain King is part of the philosophical genre.

1) What are the conventions of the philosophical genre in terms of character, language and plot?

2) In what way did Rain King help to set the template for similar novels? Do modern novels still use the ideas used in Rain King?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the values of 1950's America.

1) Why is spirituality finding oneself such an issue during this time?

2) In what ways are the characters' negative characteristics a product of their time? Do you think America is going through a transitional phase in the 1950's? What significant changes do you think occur during this period?

3) Does modern society share any values with 1950' America?

Essay Topic 3

Examine Bellow's writing style. How would you describe Bellow's prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? Does he use any specific writing techniques? What meaning does Bellow's style give to the story?

(see the answer keys)

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