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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. Why did VJ kill David, Janice, and his teacher?

2. What does Victor find was in Maurice and Mark's systems when they died?

3. Who died of the same cause as VJ's teacher?

4. Who have the police discovered has been threatening the Franks?

5. When Marsha returns to her home, who does she find has been killed?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Victor think about as he drives to work at the beginning of Chapter 9?

2. What do Victor and Marsha decide about VJ?

3. What does Marsha learn about Richie Blakemore?

4. What information does Kaspwicz uncover hidden on Victor's home computer?

5. How did Janice feel about VJ?

6. How does Marsha's conversation with Philip at the beginning of Chapter 12 end?

7. What does Victor finally admit to his wife in Chapter 9?

8. Describe how Victor destroys the secret lab.

9. When Victor returns to the lab, what does he try to convince VJ to do?

10. Why does VJ let his father out of imprisonment?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss power in the novel.

1) What gives a person power in the novel? How does money affect power? How does technology affect power? How does emotion affect power?

2) How does VJ get what he wants during the novel? What methods of getting what he wants, like cooperation, does VJ reject? Why?

3) What is the relationship between Victor and VJ? Who has power in the relationship, and at what times? How does Victor defeat VJ?

Essay Topic 2

Marsha is the main female character in the novel, but the novel also includes minor female characters such as Janice and Josephine. Discuss the portrayal of women in the novel.

1) Is Victor's treatment of Marsha and her opinions different from his treatment of men? How does Victor treat women in general in the novel?

2) How is Marsha's perspective as a woman different from Victor's as a man? What do Marsha and Victor's perspectives say about men and women in general?

3) How are other women in the novel, aside from Marsha, portrayed? What commonalities are there among the female characters?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the settings of the novel.

1) Discuss the setting of the Chimera compound. How does the size of the compound affect the story? How does the security of the compound affect the story?

2) Discuss the setting of the clock tower and river. What do the clock tower and river add to the tone and mood of the story? How do they help the plot of the story to develop?

3) How do the time the novel is set in and the time period the novel was written in affect it? Will the novel continue to be relevant as time passes?

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