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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 is Olivia Presteign described in Chapter 11?

2. What does Orel die from?

3. What game is to be played at the legal party given by Regis Sheffield?

4. Where does Fourmyle come from?

5. Who is Geoffrey Fourmyle?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Foyle kidnap on Mars? Describe Foyle's victim.

2. Describe Olivia Presteign.

3. How does Robin assist Foyle in his role as Geoffrey Fourmyle?

4. What is the nature of the small slugs Foyle sent around the world as revealed in Chapter 15?

5. What is the nature of the discussion in the Star Chamber in Chapter 14?

6. Describe Geoffrey Fourmyle.

7. What do we learn is the origin of the Burning Man?

8. Describe, in a couple of sentences, the nature of the first Solar War as explained in Chapter 8.

9. What does Robin offer Foyle after the New Year's Eve bombardment, and what is his response?

10. What does Robin do regarding Foyle at the opening of Chapter 12, and what secret of hers is made known?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Gully Foyle is introduced in Chapter 1. The book identifies him as "everyman." The concept of the everyman is a common one in literature, but does Foyle fulfill the stereotypical traits of the everyman? Write an analysis of Foyle, based on the information we have at his introduction. Include in your analysis his background, his goals and objectives, his personality, and explain whether he is a sympathetic character and a character the reader can identify with.

Essay Topic 2

The Stars My Destination was written in 1956. While parts of the novel are dated, other parts have stood the test of time. Identify two or three "big themes" the novel tackles--themes that exist outside the constraints of science fiction--and explain how those themes still resonate and have value to readers today.

Essay Topic 3

One key component of the novel is the concept of jaunting. Discuss in detail whether the concept is plausible, whether it is better suited to fantasy than science-fiction, if Bester deploys this device convincingly, and whether its use comes across as a gimmick to further the plot or is a necessary part of the overall scheme of the book. Could the book have been written apart from the presence of jaunting?

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This section contains 650 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample