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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 does Ishmael say made Germans captive under Hitler?

2. When does the narrator’s creation story begin?

3. In Chapter 3, how does Ishmael tell the narrator to think, when he tries to get him to see the myth of his culture?

4. How does the narrator say that Hermann Hesse presents Leo’s “awesome secret wisdom”?

5. How does Ishmael say the followers of Copernicus convinced people to change their view of heliocentrism?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the narrator’s first encounter with Ishmael.

2. Why is the narrator so upset to see Ishmael’s ad in the paper?

3. What does Ishmael say the narrator’s creation myth justifies?

4. What does Ishmael say is his greatest fantasy?

5. What correlation does Ishmael draw between Nazi Germany and the narrator’s culture?

6. What is the narrator’s reaction when he finally recognizes his creation myth as a myth?

7. How does Ishmael say Hitler captivated the German people?

8. What are the definitions Ishmael lays out for the narrator?

9. How does Ishmael say the Takers envision the earth?

10. How would you characterize Ishmael’s tone with the narrator in general, as they talk regularly?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the benefit of delivering this information about mythology and the world in a dialogue with a telepathic gorilla, instead of a straight-forward essay or non-fiction book about myth and the history of mankind?

Essay Topic 2

Assess the proposition that Ishmael is a kunstlerroman, or the coming of age of an artist story, whose protagonist is the narrator. Is this a fair proposition? Why or why not? What changes does the narrator go through that might make this a coming of age story for his artistic persona?

Essay Topic 3

What kind of compromise is possible between people who see things Ishmael’s way, and people who exemplify ‘Taker’ culture? Is compromise possible?

(see the answer keys)

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