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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 combat sport does Josh Hutchins practice?

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

3. What is Earth House?

4. From what does Paul Thorson save Sister and Artie?

5. Sister Creep lost her own child in what circumstances?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the leadership of the American government shortly after the nuclear attacks begin?

2. What disagreement does Colonel Macklin have with the builders of Earth House?

3. How does Swan's group react to seeing the lit K-mart?

4. Describe Sister Creep's reaction when she emerges from the subway tunnels.

5. What does "the man who likes movies" want when he is at the Empire State Theatre, and how does he get it?

6. Describe the dream that Sister Creep has when she is hiding in the unused subway tunnels.

7. What are Macklin's first actions as the new ruler of the Salt Lake settlement?

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. Why does Sister "Creep" get into a fight in Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many characters believe they are touched and affected by destiny. They see themselves as having a specific purpose and are driven to fulfill it. Rarely does this steer the characters in the wrong way, tending to confirm their beliefs. In most cases, the protagonists who embrace their destinies meet with success and gain the strength that they need in order to carry on.

1) Discuss Josh and his perception of his purpose and destiny. Describe how his destiny is imparted to him, how well he pursues it, and how embracing it gives him strength at various points in the novel.

2) Describe Sister's deep-seated belief in her destiny and her role in the world. How is this belief affect by her deep faith? How does her belief in her destiny help her to stay on her intended path?

3) Discuss some of the other minor characters who are driven by what they perceive to be their destinies.

4) Summarize the effect of destiny on the protagonists of the story. Are their beliefs usually well founded or erroneous? Are they helpful or harmful?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Forgiveness is an essential component of the plot from the beginning of the novel through to the very end. It is a critical element of the goodness that Swan shares with the world and allows her to change people, to heal communities, and to triumph effortlessly over evil.

1) Explain how Swan demonstrates her capacity for forgiveness throughout the novel, citing specific examples.

2) Discuss the way that other characters perceive the act of forgiveness. What does Sister believe about forgiveness? How is her belief denied or confirmed in the plot?

3) What impact does forgiveness have on Friend? How does Swan use this, without exerting any effort, to defeat Friend at every encounter?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 973 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample