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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 kind of seal does Sinuhe have made for himself in Smyrna?

2. What, according to Sinuhe's father, is the most important thing for a young man to learn if he wants to be leader among his people?

3. What, according to the prince, Amenhotep, is an abomination to Aton?

4. How long has Sinuhe been in exile at the beginning of the novel?

5. How is status determined in the land of the Hittites?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Sinuhe feel that Mitanni is doomed? Where is Mitanni in relation to other countries? Why does this mean extinction for these people?

2. When Sinuhe and Kaptah arrive in Babylon, Kaptah wants Sinuhe to announce his presence to the other physicians in a certain way. How does he want Sinuhe to announce that he is in Babylonia? Why? Why is this important to their relationships with others? Is this political correctness for the time? Why?

3. When Sinuhe opens a skull and finds that the "disease had laid its egg" what does he mean by that? What is the egg inside the man's head? What does Sinuhe do with it? How does he repair the opening? What is significant about the fact that the man falls from a wall three days later and breaks his neck and dies? What is that supposed to symbolize?

4. When Sinuhe says that a man who knows the Babylonian language can be understood throughout the world, what does this say about Babylon? If Egypt is the most powerful land on earth, then why would the Egyptian language be the most important language? What does this say about politics of the time?

5. Explain how embalming works int he House of Death. What do the priest tell people who bring their loved ones for preparation for burial? What do they actually do? How does Sinuhe view this?

6. How does Sinuhe defend the young prince to Horemheb? What does Sinuhe think of the young prince's beliefs? Do you think he is affected in this way because of his experiences in the House of Life? Why? Why not?

7. Why do Kipa and Senmut tell their neighbors that Kipa gave birth to Sinuhe? Why does Senmut register Sinuhe in the book of births? What will this do for Sinuhe later in life? What difference will this make in his life?

8. As the novel progresses, Kaptah begins to refer to the property of Sinuhe as "our" as in "our" house, "our" scarab and even "our" gold. What does this indicate to the reader? Does Sinuhe seem aware of these changes? If he does, does he care? Why? Why not? What does this say about their relationship?

9. Why does Senmut take Sinuhe to meet Inteb, the warrior? What lesson does Senmut want Sinuhe to leave with?

10. What does Minea bring to Sinuhe? What does she restore in his life? Why is she an important character to his life and to his healing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Often in the novel a swallow or bird flies around in and out of scenes. What do you think this is a symbol of? Note when this happens in the novel and see if there is a pattern?

Essay Topic 2

What do you think of the way Kaptah steals from Sinuhe? Judging from Sinuhe's reaction to this knowledge, what does this say about their relationship and the the relationship between all slaves and owners in Egypt? Give examples from the novel of Kaptah's business dealings with Sinuhe's money.

Essay Topic 3

The idea of the Hittites is "Right is what we desire and wrong is what our neighbors desire." How does this philosophy outline their ideas about war?

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