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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. Who is cited as the author of A Thrilling Youth: A Civil War Adolescence?

2. Who is cited as the author of With Lincoln in the White House?

3. Who is described in Chapter 37 as constantly mumbling about his grandson's excellent university marks?

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

5. How old was Willie Lincoln when he died?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does the tendril that wraps Willie symbolic of?

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

4. How does Roger Bevins III describe Mrs. Abigail Blass in Chapter 26?

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

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

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

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

9. What is the significance of the state dinner held by the Lincolns in the novel?

10. How is Mrs. Ellis's appearance described in Chapter 26?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze the character of Hans Vollman in Lincoln in the Bardo. For how long has Vollman been in the bardo? Who is his best friend? How did Vollman come to die? How does his character evolve in the course of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the narrative style of Lincoln in the Bardo. Who are the principle narrators? Is their narrator related in first, second, or third-person perspective? What is the impact of having so many different narrators in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Who is Captain William Prince? Why do you think the author includes this character in the novel? What themes does Captain William Prince relate to?

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