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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 word in Chapter 46 refers to a person or thing that is detested or loathed?

2. What character evolves into a being with multiple eyes, ears, noses, hands, etc. in Chapter 41?

3. What does Mr. Bevins describe the experience of stepping into Lincoln as being like in Chapter 45?

4. Who is the outspoken former boilermaker that occupies Lincoln in Chapter 77?

5. Who is the fictional author that is attributed with writing The Spiritual Lincoln: An Essential Journey?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are the Crutcher brothers and Mr. and Mrs. Reedy described?

2. What does the lock and key in Lincoln's pocket represent?

3. What obstacle presents itself to Mr. Bevins and Mr. Vollman in Chapter 68?

4. What are the prides of Professor Edmund Bloomer and Lawrence T. Decroix?

5. To what sin does Captain William Prince confess? To whom does he confess?

6. What do Vollman and Bevins realize about the passage of time in Chapter 55?

7. Who is Benjamin ("Benjy") and why is he mentioned by Mr. and Mrs. Baron in Chapter 65?

8. What is the focus on the excerpts in Chapter 47?

9. How have the spirits of the bardo changed in apperance after occupying Lincoln in Chapter 77?

10. How do the protagonists manage to sway Lincoln from leaving in Chapter 77?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is Elise Traynor? What is her role in the plot of Lincoln in the Bardo? How is this character described in the narrative? What does she represent symbolically?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the themes of loss and grief in Lincoln in the Bardo. How are these themes illustrated through character? What are symbols in the novel that reflect the themes of loss and grief?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the characterization of Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln in the Bardo. What characteristics of Lincoln stand out? How does the author's interpretation of Lincoln compare with other interpretations? What role does Abraham Lincoln play in the novel's plot?

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