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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 does Chesterton name as the only great English poet to go mad?
2. What did Chesterton discover about the truths he found in religious thought?
3. According to Chesterton, when is a disease beautiful?
4. What widespread mistake about mystical imagination does Chesterton want to erase?
5. According to Chesterton, what is too big an undertaking for a book even of a larger scope?
Short Essay Questions
1. In Chapter I, Introduction in Defense of Everything Else, Chesterton states that the book is written from his own experiences rather than as the result of research and labor. What expectations does this set up or destroy for the reader?
2. Materialistic fatalism has been credited with being merciful, though Chesterton says this is far from the truth. Why can fatalism not be merciful?
3. In Chapter I, Introduction in Defense of Everything Else, Chesterton states that he hates the defense of something that cannot be proved or disproved. How is this important for the rest of the book?
4. What does Chesterton say is the spirit of the law in fairy land? Why is this not inconsistent?
5. "But it is a much more massive and important fact that he [the materialist] is not free to raise, to curse, the thank, to justify, to urge, the punish, to resist temptation, to incite mobs, to make New Year resolutions, to pardon sinners, to rebuke tyrants, or even to say 'thank you' for the mustard" (Chesterton 2000, pg 185). What is the context for this statement? Does it logically follow from Chesterton's argument?
6. In the example of the explorer who only discovers his own land, Chesterton says that his first emotion might be foolishness. This should not be the sole emotion, though. Why does Chesterton name foolishness as the first emotion and how might this fit the religious explorer?
7. Humility is chiefly understood chiefly as a restraint on a man's arrogance and boasting. What is Chesterton's argument concerning humility? What example does he give to illustrate a humble view of the world?
8. The author says people can justly call him a fool because he is a fool. What does this reveal about the man himself? How does this set up expectations for the rest of the book?
9. In Chapter IV, The Ethics of Elfland, what does Chesterton give as the first two principles of democracy? How does he convey a sense of wonder even in these principles?
10. Why does Chesterton claim that fairyland is more rational than the scientific world? Does the sense of wonder remain?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
According to Chesterton, what happens when men deny their inherent sinfulness? What are the philosophical and theological repercussions? How does this belief separate men from each other?
Essay Topic 2
Why does Chesterton say that progress must have a fixed goal? What happens if the goal changes? How is this question related to the ideas of reform versus evolution?
Essay Topic 3
"For the orthodox there can always be a revolution, for a revolution is restoration." (Chesterton 2000, pg. 264) How is this true? How does this suit or shatter the common understanding of revolution?
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This section contains 1,638 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) |
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