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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. How old does the narrator say he was on his wedding day in Chapter 1?

2. What is described on the doorsteps of the building in the beginning of Chapter 33?

3. How many horses does Lieutenant Cecil Stone claim to have in Chapter 27?

4. What word does Betsy Baron describe Cziesniewski as having trying to pronounce?

5. Who are the children that are constantly receiving presents in the vignette at the end of Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Lieutenant Cecil Stone describe of his life in Chapter 26?

2. Why does Willie refuse to pass on from the bardo for much of the novel?

3. What is the unnatural predilection that Roger Bevins III describes in Chapter 9?

4. What story does Elise Traynor relate to Willie in Chapter 13?

5. How does Hans Vollman describe his death in Chapter 1?

6. What is notable about the dialogues of Eddie and Betsy Baron?

7. How is the appearance of Roger Bevins III described in Chapter 9?

8. How is Abraham Lincoln's demeanor described in the Wartime Washington: The Civil War Letters of Isabelle Perkins excerpt in Chapter 7?

9. How are Mr. Randall and Mr. Twood described?

10. How does Roger Bevins III describe his suicide attempt in Chapter 9?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss and analyze the character of Thomas Havens in Lincoln in the Bardo. How does Havens feel about his experiences as a slave? Why does he remain in the bardo? What happens to Havens at the end of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the lives and deaths of Eddie and Betsy Baron in Lincoln in the Bardo. Where did Eddie and Betsy live when they were alive? What did they think of their circumstances? Why do they remain in the bardo?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the historical context of Lincoln in the Bardo. What elements of the novel reflect the circumstances of the 1860s? How does the historical context inform the action of the characters?

(see the answer keys)

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