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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 established law does Phaedrus cite as being an example of an evolving static pattern?

2. Why does Phaedrus humorously note in Chapter 12 as the reason nobody before attempted to quantify everything in value?

3. Which of the following is not at the forefront of Lila's mind at the beginning of Chapter 10?

4. At the end of Chapter 7, what does Phaedrus return to as the basis of his anthropological beliefs?

5. At what college is Verne Dusenberry an associate professor?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Lila and Phaedrus talk about during dinner in Chapter 14 and what do the readers learn about them?

2. Describe the life of the Zuni Indian discussed in Ruth Benedict's "Patterns of Culture."

3. What does Phaedrus mean when he discusses Rigel in relation to his "Victorian" virtue?

4. How did Lila end up on Phaedrus's boat?

5. In Chapter 8, what are some of the faults Phaedrus details with science?

6. What is Phaedrus's early analysis of Lila in Chapter 11?

7. What are Phaedrus's thoughts on the current century in Chapter 13?

8. What are the "slips" on Phaedrus's boat?

9. Discuss the differences between static good and dynamic good.

10. Why does Phaedrus disagree with Sidis's belief that abstinence was necessary for an intellectual?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When one cannot be the same person they were earlier and they find themselves being defined by the perceptions of others, what happens to that person's identity within their society? Discuss this question in relation to both Phaedrus and Lila.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the many roles New York City plays in this book, in terms of setting, metaphors, and symbolism.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the culture of celebrity and explain, in detail, why this led Phaedrus to reject a possible film adaptation of his book.

(see the answer keys)

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