View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why would the Second Foundation not altar Pritchard's mind after arriving on Rossem according to Channis?

2. What does Pritchard say the Second Foundation needs when confronting Channis?

3. What is Pritcher's reaction when Channis says that the Mule does not know where they are going?

4. What is Pritcher's immediate reaction upon first meeting Channis?

5. What happens to Pritchard as he has disloyal thoughts?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the Rossem elders react to the arrival of Pritchard and Channis?

2. How does the opening of "Second Foundation" help the reader understand events that have occurred earlier in the trilogy?

3. During the confrontation on Rossem, in what trap does Channis catch the Mule?

4. Why does the Mule choose Channis to accompany Pritcher on the assignment of finding the Second Foundation?

5. Toward the end of 1-3, what does the technician find in the ship and what is Channis' response?

6. What is the Mule's motivations for finding the Second Foundation? How close has he come to this discovery?

7. What are Channis' reasons for telling Pritchard that his mind has been tampered with by the Second Foundation in 4-6? Why would the Second Foundation leave Pritchard's feeling of loyalty?

8. In 4-6, how does the Mule know that Channis is a Second Foundationer?

9. Who is the leader of the Galaxy and how did this leader rise to power?

10. What difference in time do the events in 7-9 take place after 4-6 and how is this shown by the characters?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

With family members, political rulers and even one's own mind being controlled by powerful forces, paranoia plays a powerful role in the novel. Respond to the following with supporting details from "Second Foundation."

1) In what ways does the character of Pritcher exhibit extreme paranoia?

2) What are the reasons that the characters in the book are paranoid? Does the author validate these reasons by the end of the novel?

3) How does the author use a reader's real life concern about mind control to underscore the paranoia in the book?

Essay Topic 2

The tone of the novel has an important effect on a reader's reading experience. "Second Foundation" is solemn in its content and tone. Please respond to the following with supporting evidence from the book:

1) How does Asimov establish the serious tone of the novel from the beginning of the book?

2) What are the major themes of the book and how do these themes affect the tone of the story?

3) Does the serious tone of "Second Foundation" help to accentuate the way the reader perceives the story?

Essay Topic 3

It is difficult to define a standout hero or villain in "Second Foundation" because the author does not present such a figure to the reader. Please respond to the following with supporting evidence from the story:

1) What character is the most like a hero in the story? What happens at the end of the novel to make the reader think otherwise?

2) The Mule is presented to be a villain. His motivation to further the Seldon Plan is one of the few representations of a valid motive in the story. What is the author saying about societies' views on misunderstanding other people?

3) How is the Second Foundation simultaneously represented as a protagonist and antagonist in the book?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 972 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample