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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 greets Kelvin when he first lands on Station Solaris?

2. What does Kelvin do after he showers and changes?

3. What damages Kelvin's face?

4. How does Kelvin recognize Snow?

5. What does Snow do when Kelvin asks about Gibarian?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Kelvin wearing when he arrives on the research station?

2. What does Kelvin feel as he goes into his room on the space station?

3. What does Snow say that mankind is seeking in outer space?

4. Describe the research station as Kelvin first sees it.

5. Why is Kelvin surprised by his greeting when he approaches the research station?

6. Why does Snow say the Polytherian forms are so dangerous?

7. Describe the view of Solaris that Kelvin first sees from his room.

8. What do the scientists see when the cover falls off Sartorius' video phone?

9. Who do the records say took The Little Apocrypha out of the library?

10. What is Snow's reaction when Kelvin admits that he has had his first visitor?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the history of Solaris in the novel, Solarists have had multiple theories about the nature of Solaris' ocean. Discuss the nature of Solaris' ocean.

1) What are various theories that exist about Solaris' ocean, and why are there so many theories?

2) What is the most plausible theory of Solaris' ocean, based on the events and information in the novel?

3) Is it possible to understand the nature of Solaris' ocean?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Kelvin's character and what Kelvin learns from his experiences on Solaris.

1) Does Kelvin grow and change throughout the story? How does his relationship with Rheya change?

2) Does Kelvin gain a deeper understanding of himself, the ocean, or mankind? If so, what understanding does he gain, and how does he gain it?

3) Why does Kelvin decide to stay on Solaris at the end of the novel? What does he hope to find or achieve on Solaris?

Essay Topic 3

Solaris is written in the first person point of view, from Kelvin's perspective. Discuss point of view in Solaris.

1) Kelvin enters the Solaris research in the middle of the action, when Gibarian is already dead. Why does the author choose to begin with Kelvin's arrival into an already ongoing situation?

2) The first person point of view restricts the reader's knowledge to Kelvin's thoughts and perception. Why does the author choose this point of view?

3) Why does the author focus on Kelvin as a character and Kelvin's interaction with his visitor, to the exclusion of the other visitors?

(see the answer keys)

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