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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 Nicholas doing in a dream on page 50?

2. What is the name of the work where this phrase appears, "there must be something more than death..., there must be a promise that is not fulfilled in our short existence in this world."

3. On page 85, who does Nicholas say are the mourners?

4. What type of questions make Nicholas wince?

5. What nations does Nicholas mention when he thinks about what it would be like to be a member of a people whose national existence is under attack?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is what the Stoics said different from what Jesus said about mourning?

2. In what respects does man mirror God?

3. Why does Nicholas say God suffers?

4. What did Job's friends tell him was the reason he lost his children?

5. Is there a firm answer to why humans suffer?

6. Why did the ordinariness bother Nicholas when he walked into a store?

7. What will Nicholas do rather than turn away from death?

8. Why does Nicholas think the death of a child is so painful?

9. In Section 8, what is said about what it means to be human?

10. On page 76, what does a bitter, suffering friend tell Nicholas?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss why Nicholas chose a lamentation to express the pain he felt regarding Eric's death. Use examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Using examples from the book, discuss the struggle that Nicholas had when he tried to return to ordinary life and to his work.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss why Eric enjoyed climbing alone, using examples from the book to support your claim.

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