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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 does the second prayer the prophet gives Arthur ask to protect him from?

2. How much further is the ventilation shaft from the ground than what Ford remembers?

3. What does the old lady do with the food she's been cooking over a fire?

4. How long are the books on the alien world where Arthur settles?

5. What is the name of the company that has bought the Guide?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Arthur recognize the maps of NowWhat?

2. What happens to the crew of the Grebulon ship?

3. What does Ford say to the armed men who are in the editor's office?

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

5. Explain WSOGMM.

6. What is the old lady at the cave doing, when Arthur comes to see her?

7. How does the security robot act after Ford alters it?

8. What does the first prayer that the prophet on the pole gives Arthur ask to protect him from?

9. How was the alien Tricia met at the party disguised?

10. What metaphor does Tricia think of, for trying to live life according to a plan?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss chance and randomness in the novel.

1) How does chance and randomness affect the Earth and its different possibilities in different dimensions?

2) How does the existence of the new Guide destroy chance and randomness?

3) How does chance and randomness affect the characters, for good or ill, in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Random's character.

1) How is Random incomplete as a person? Why does she lack a sense of belonging and identity? How does this affect her personality?

2) What is the meaning of Random's name? What role does randomness and chance play in her existence?

3) Why does Random react the way she does to her mother, her father, the Guide, Tricia, and Earth? Why does she need to open the package from Ford? Why does she need to take apart Arthur's watch?

Essay Topic 3

In Mostly Harmless, multiple dimensions or possible universes are converging and crossing over into each other. The characters deal with the full range of possibilities. Discuss multiple dimensions in the novel.

1) What is the WSOGMM? Why is this idea important to the novel?

2) Why is it difficult or impossible for any one person to comprehend the totality of dimensions or universes? Why is it dangerous for the Guide to comprehend everything?

3) How do multiple potential possibilities affect the characters in the novel? How does the existence of multiple potential possibilities allow the new Guide to manipulate reality?

(see the answer keys)

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