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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. When Sophie confides in Alberto about her discovery after her dream, how does Alberto react?

2. Where does Sophie live?

3. What does Sophie find in the woods on her search for the philosopher?

4. How does Sophie surprise Joanna after they finish classes?

5. What does Plato believe human beings get caught in?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Sophie sees another girl in mirror who winks back at her with both eyes, what does this foreshadow?

2. Does nature constrain human's free will like Spinoza believed? How?

3. What did Sophie learn from working with Legos in connection to Democritus?

4. What is an example of the Indo-European view of history concerning cycles of history that start over again?

5. Why would Sophie not go with Joanna after classes?

6. What are some of the increasingly odd connections between Sophie and HIlde? What do they mean?

7. Characterize Sophie's religion teacher when she questioned Sophie's answers on a test.

8. Is Sophie's mother's reaction to her daughter's studies and new attitude realistic? Why?

9. How are Hilde and the Major connected to Sophie, as known by Chapter 13? Why?

10. What is Sophie's den symbolic of? How?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Did Sophie succeed in her philosophy course? What was her goal or expectation as she began it? Was it possible for her to succeed?

Essay Topic 2

Find the most descriptive, all-encompassing and honest quote from the novel. Why is this quote so central to the meaning of this novel? Analyze your quote and provide reasons why this quote is so meaningful.

Essay Topic 3

Look at the chapter titles. The first title is "The Garden of Eden." Why would Gaarder begin his novel this way? Some of the titles are simplistic, such as the names of philosophers. Others have more meaning. Analyze these titles and relate them to the deeper meaning presented in the corresponding chapter.

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