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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 Plato believe human beings get caught in?

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

3. What does Sophie find in the regular mail as the story opens?

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

5. Why is Baruch Spinoza excommunicated?

Short Essay Questions

1. Sophie recalls that time is different for the Major and HIlde, than for Sophie and Alberto. How would this exist?

2. Why would Sophie's banana have a birthday greeting on the inside?

3. Why would ancient people make up such elaborate stories to explain how their world works?

4. Why were ancient people angry when they spoke to Socrates and he claimed not to know anything?

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

6. When Sophie sees the large board with the word "Hilde" on it, does this foreshadow who "Hilde' is?

7. Why does Sophie's mother handle her daughter's relationship with Alberto so calmly?

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

9. Holberg's play poses the question 'How does a person know which is reality and which is a dream'? What does this foreshadow in relation to Sophie?

10. Do people today, as the Greeks did, believe in fate or predestination? What are examples?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How much do you think Alberto knows of the Major's interference in Sophie's life? Does he know from the beginning that Sophie is a character? Explain why and what clues show this.

Essay Topic 2

Why does Alberto teach Sophie these philosophy lessons? Was it for personal gain or as a selfless act?

Essay Topic 3

What is ironic about the novel's title? What forms of irony are at play? As the book progresses, does the form of irony shift? How?

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