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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 Tanus name his bow Lanata?

2. After leaving Thebes, where do Pharaoh and his court go?

3. Near the end of the wedding feast, what does Taita discover about Pharaoh's personality?

4. Why did Lord Intef engineer the downfall of Lord Harrab, Tanus's father?

5. What does Tanus name as one of the single worst afflictions to settle on Egypt?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tanus show his devotion to his chosen god Horus? How do the people respond to this devotion? What does this say about the roles of the gods in the Egyptians' lives?

2. What power does Pharaoh's seal have? Why must a man acknowledge it, as Tanus does when Neter comes to arrest him? Is this seal a sign of power or of weakness?

3. What are Taita's emotions during and after the battle with the Shrikes? How do these emotions explain several facets of his personality? What does this say for Smith's ability to create a complex character?

4. Why is Lord Intef delighted to arrange the marriage between Lostris and Pharaoh? What plans does he reveal to Taita? How does even this brief interaction show Taita's unstable position in the court?

5. Throughout this first section, what evidence does Taita give that he is a favored slave? What was the cost of this favor?

6. What is Tanus's reaction to the news of Lostris's coming marriage? What does this reveal about his character? Is this an admirable reaction?

7. What will be the crowning moment of Pharaoh's life? What is Taita's reaction to this moment and how does the reaction seem contrary to Egyptian thought?

8. What are Taita's first descriptions of Lostris? How are his emotions different from what the reader might expect of a eunuch? How does it help explain his character?

9. What scheme does Taita dream up to help Tanus engage the Shrikes in battle for the first time? How is this scheme something that perhaps only Taita would think of?

10. In the days leading up to Lostris's wedding, Taita is not allowed to go near her. Even during the wedding ceremony, he stands at the back of the crowd and cannot see much. What is the literary significance of Taita's inability to see Lostris? How does this relate to Smith's silence about Tanus's reaction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Taita question the value of treasure-laden tombs? Is he right to question the tombs? How is his judgment unclouded while Pharaoh's is caught up only in his funerary treasure (152, 365)?

Essay Topic 2

How does Egypt treat the uncivilized people whom it encounters? Is this in keeping with the traditions of other nations? How is Egypt more civilized than most of its neighbors? What might have been the long-lasting effects of its demise during Taita's life?

Essay Topic 3

Twice Taita wishes that he could retract the evil he had spoken: Lostris's marriage and the coming of the Hyksos. How effective is this as a literary technique? Does it build suspense for the reader or diminish it? How does it change the reader's expectations for what happens next in the novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,988 words (approx. 7 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample