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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 happens when Kelvin goes into the restroom?

2. When Kelvin wakes, what is Rheya doing?

3. Has Kelvin met Sartorius, prior to arriving at the research station?

4. What was Berton's condition when he returned from the search?

5. Before the discovery of Solaris, why did scientists think a planet like Solaris could never contain life?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Was Gibarian dead when Snow found him?

3. How does Kelvin periodically check to reassure himself that the research station's air circulatory system is working?

4. Why does Kelvin blame himself for Rheya's death?

5. Is Kelvin on time for his meeting with Snow?

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

7. How punctual does Kelvin say he is?

8. Why does Kelvin react emotionally to the two sundresses on the floor?

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

10. Why aren't Berton's experiences related in the Supplement that Gibarian's note directs Kelvin to?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the significance of the setup and layout of the space station setting.

1) The space station when Kelvin arrives is in complete disarray. Discuss the reasons for and significance of the state of the research station.

2) The library is an important element of the story, and a place Kelvin goes when he needs to escape. Discuss the significance of the library and how the author utilizes it in the story.

3) Kelvin's room looks out over Solaris' ocean and is the first place that Rheya appears to Kelvin. Discuss the significance and role of Kelvin's room and its view of the ocean.

Essay Topic 3

In the novel Solaris, humanity has searched through the reaches of the galaxy and tried to explain what it has found. By far, the greatest mystery has been Solaris.

1) What reasons do Solarists and humanity in general have for trying to explain and understand Solaris, and the other things found in the galaxy?

2) Does "explaining" Solaris make the ocean into a reflection of humanity and human traits?

3) Are the Solarists looking for something spiritual, beyond the nature of humanity? If so, is it possible for humans to connect with the spiritual, outside of the human realm?

(see the answer keys)

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