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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. How does Kelvin react to his strange dreams?

2. What does Kelvin tell Rheya when she asks if she is immortal?

3. What makes Rheya nervous about Snow?

4. What does Snow hypothesize is necessary for the visitors to survive?

5. What experiment does Snow want Kelvin to perform?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why doesn't Kelvin want to open a communications channel to the shuttle he launched?

2. What does Rheya want from Kelvin, after she listens to the tape recorder?

3. What formation does Kelvin see as the ship travels to the polar region of Solaris?

4. How does Rheya describe being away from Kelvin?

5. Why doesn't Kelvin share his doubts about the upcoming experiment with Rheya?

6. What reason does Kelvin give for wanting to go off the station?

7. What does Rheya say in her suicide note?

8. Why does Rheya choose the method she uses to try to kill herself?

9. How does Snow describe Rheya's final moments?

10. Why does Kelvin say he doesn't want Rheya to overhear his conversation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The ocean of Solaris is a life form that is inexplicable both from a physics perspective and from a human consciousness perspective.

1) Can mankind ever understand anything that's truly different from itself, and does this preclude an understanding of Solaris?

2) Do any of the explanations advanced for Solaris' ocean define it outside of the context of humanity, or are they all reflections of human experience?

Essay Topic 2

One of the main dreams of Solarists is contact with the ocean, and so one of the major thematic elements in Solaris is communication.

1) What are the obstacles to communication in Solaris, both between the ocean and the scientists and between the human characters? What is the effect of a lack of communication?

2) Does the ocean attempt to communicate with the scientists?

3) Is communication possible with the ocean?

Essay Topic 3

Kelvin has complex emotions about the original Rheya, and these emotions are further complicated by the appearance of a new, duplicate Rheya. Kelvin first destroys one Rheya in a panic, and then wants to save the next. What does Kelvin really want? Discuss Kelvin's ambivalent feelings toward Rheya.

1) How do Kelvin's feelings of guilt and love for the first Rheya affect his attitude to the duplicate Rheyas?

2) Is it possible for Kelvin to distinguish his feelings for the Rheya of Solaris from his feelings for and memories of the original Rheya?

3) On a fundamental level, does Kelvin want Rheya to be there, or does he not want her to be there?

(see the answer keys)

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