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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 does Tricia travel home from New York?

2. Who rioted in the streets, coincidentally at a time when office buildings had to be evacuated due to technology failures?

3. Where do Tricia and Gail Andrews go to talk?

4. What caused the aliens to come get Tricia?

5. Where is it said that wisdom and truth are to be found?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Ford realize is odd about the thirteenth floor of the Guide building?

2. How does Tricia hope to get an audition for the job she wants?

3. What animal do the armed men in the editor's office remind Ford of?

4. What prevents Tricia from going though with her plans for the evening on the day she returns from New York?

5. What does Eric want Tricia to do when she gets home?

6. What does the Hitch Hiker's Guide do to areas where it sets up its offices?

7. What concerns Gail about her interview with Tricia?

8. According to Eric the gardener, what happened to Mrs. Williams' cat?

9. How does Ford return the card he stole from his editor?

10. What problem do the aliens have that they want Tricia's help with?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the ability to discover and perceive truth in the novel.

1) How do the limitations of knowledge and perception affect the ability to discover truth in the novel? How does it affect Tricia's ability to share her knowledge of the existence of aliens?

2) How is Ford's desire to find out the truth behind the new Guide inhibited by the limits of knowledge and perception?

3) Why are characters in the novel unwilling to try to discover truth? Why do scientists find truth muddled and confusing? Why do characters like the Lamuellans not want to delve into mysteries like the Perfectly Normal Beasts?

Essay Topic 2

Mostly Harmless is a humorous novel. Discuss the author's humor and how he uses humor in the novel.

1) What kinds of humor does the author use? How are the characters, situations, and ideas in the novel humorous?

2) How does the ending, and the destruction of Earth, fit in with the humorous nature of the novel?

3) What kinds of liberties does humor allow the author to take? How does humor allow the author to create wildly improbable situations and events?

Essay Topic 3

The novel is science fiction and extensively uses science ideas and concepts. Discuss the role of science in the novel.

1) What scientific concepts does the author use in the novel? What types of scientific ideas does he emphasize?

2) What is the author's view of science? How is science positive and negative? How do the characters view science and technology?

3) How does the novel fit into the science fiction genre?

(see the answer keys)

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