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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 does Snow tell Kelvin when Kelvin regains consciousness after he finds Rheya missing?

2. What does Kelvin want to do after he realizes Rheya is truly gone?

3. Where is Rheya when Kelvin wakes up with a fuzzy head after being drugged?

4. What does Snow say that Kelvin is doing, which Gibarian also did?

5. What does Kelvin say when Snow suggests Kelvin's "god" is mankind?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Snow call Rheya?

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

3. How does Kelvin imagine his return to Earth?

4. Describe Sartorius' speech to Kelvin before the experiment.

5. Why does Snow want to give Kelvin a job to do?

6. How does Rheya sign her suicide note?

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

8. Describe a mimoid.

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

10. What metaphor does Kelvin use to describe trying to understand Solaris?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the genre of the novel Solaris.

1) How does Solaris utilize the science fiction genre? Why does the author choose a space setting, and how does he utilize science and technology to communicate his themes and ideas?

2) In what ways is Solaris a mystery or psychological thriller? What elements of the mystery/thriller genre does the author use?

3) What elements of the horror/ghost story genre does Solaris use? Is the story of Solaris a horrifying one?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Andre Berton's experiences on Solaris.

1) What are the meanings and implications of what Andre Berton saw? What do they tell us about Solaris' oceans?

2) How are Andre Berton's experiences related to the experiences of the scientists on the research station? Compare and contrast those experiences.

3) Why did the panel disbelieve and suppress Berton's reports of the instance on Solaris? What does this say about the failures of science?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 668 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample