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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 Roland realize will be the best source of power for himself and Macklin?

2. What does Josh find that has begun to grow where Swan has been sleeping?

3. How did Swan get her nickname?

4. Colonel Macklin is encouraged by a mysterious entity that he calls __________.

5. Chapter 6 opens in a theater named ______________.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Sister decide to continue to Kansas?

2. What is the strategy of the United States to prevent further advances by the USSR?

3. What does Roland do during his family's initial visit to Earth House that demonstrates that he is reckless and insensitive?

4. What happens at PawPaw's store when the nuclear attacks begin?

5. What does Doyle do to the members of Sister's group and why?

6. How do Roland, Macklin, and Sheila acquire a place to stay in the Salt Lake settlement?

7. What cards appear during the tarot reading that Leona performs for Swan, and what do the cards mean?

8. Describe the game that Alvin and his followers force Josh to play.

9. Describe the ritual that the survivors in Paul's cabin carry out every day.

10. What unusual abilities does Swan seem to possess?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Swan and the evil man are set up as diametrically opposed forces that eventually come into conflict near the end of the novel.

1) Describe Swan as a character and explain her powers. Discuss her capacities for forgiveness and compassion and their narrative importance.

2) Explain the evil man's powers, goals, and potential origins.

3) Explain how Swan and the evil man's personalities and goals stand in direct contradiction of one another.

4) Discuss some of the encounters between Swan and the evil man. Explain why he is unable to defeat Swan.

Essay Topic 2

After the nuclear blasts, people try to recover and form new communities. The people in these settlements are often just at the brink of survival and are extremely wary of losing their precarious position. The communities are small and poor. Their suffering is still widespread.

1) Discuss how settlements and communities form in the time after the blasts. What resources cause communities to gather at particular points?

2) Explain the economies and social arrangements in post-blast communities.

3) Use specific examples from the book to explain ways in which residents of these communities deal with outsiders and potential threats.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, many characters sacrifice themselves for causes they believe are more important than themselves. These decisions are obviously not easy, but they are made quickly and with no regrets.

1) Explain the sacrifices that Leona and Rusty make for Swan's sake.

2) Explain Macklin's sacrifice at the end of the novel. Why was this action relatively unexpected? Discuss whether or not this act does anything to redeem Macklin.

3) Discuss why some characters become quickly resolved to lay down their lives, whereas others do not rise to the challenge.

4) Explain the importance of the theme of sacrifice to the overall theme of forgiveness and redemption in the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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