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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. In what city did George de Mohrenschildt meet Oswald?

2. After leaving Fort Worth, what country does Oswald's travel visa expire in?

3. How did Lee cause a rift between the Oswald family and his brother's wife?

4. Who confirms that Raymo and Frank will join the plot in 20 May?

5. Who calls Mackey on June 19th looking for work?

Short Essay Questions

1. What confidential information does Lee reveal to Konno in Atsugi?

2. How does Lee meet David Ferrie?

3. What plans does Parmenter tell Mackey on May 20th?

4. What information about Oswald does Win receive at the beginning of June 19th?

5. Describe the colorful conversation Bannister has at a bar on June 19th.

6. What does Lee Oswald do on his base in Atsugi?

7. How does Lee meet Konno in Atsugi?

8. Who are the exiles on May 20th?

9. What initial actions do the CIA men take for their plan on April 17th?

10. Who is Walter Everett, Jr.?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Libra's central topic is the Kennedy assassination, but he also incorporates connections to other military-political events of the time. Write an essay about three of these events. What is their Cold War significance? How, in Libra, do they connect to the story of Lee Oswald? Are these connections historically accurate or largely invented by the author?

Part 1) The U-2 Incident

Part 2) The Bay of Pigs

Part 3) The General Walker shooting

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the nihilistic tone of Libra. To what extend do the events of the novel add up to a sum of nothing thematically? What impels Lee Oswald toward his final end? Does Win Everett achieve anything he intended? In the end, does President Kennedy die for any reason? Discuss if the world of Libra is one in which fate or some higher power guides characters' ends.

Essay Topic 3

As the catalyst for the Kennedy assassination, Win Everett is a strangely benign and ambiguous figure. In an essay, discuss the grievances he expresses regarding the Kennedy administration. What does he want his fake assassination to achieve? Based on these goals, does Everett seem left or right in his political leanings? Is he an inherently violent man?

(see the answer keys)

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