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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 does Macklin's inner voice react to what he discovers when he is called away by Perimeter Control?

2. Sister's group passes through what tunnel as they flee Manhattan?

3. Where do Roland, Macklin, and Teddybear Warner set up a perimeter within Earth House?

4. How did Swan get her nickname?

5. The city of Matheson was once home to what type of an institution?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Describe the problem that occurs at Earth House just after the nuclear attacks begin.

4. Why does Sister decide to continue to Kansas?

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

6. What does Roland do for Colonel Macklin?

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

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

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

10. What happens to Roland's parents during the fighting in Earth House?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many people and artifacts exhibit miraculous powers throughout the novel. It is clear that after the blasts, the world has changed in some fundamental ways. Magical or divine powers are present in the world and commonplace in the narrative of the protagonists.

1) Discuss the individuals who are known to demonstrate supernatural powers. Speculate as to where and how these powers might originate.

2) Explain some of the artifacts that are known to possess supernatural powers. Where do these objects originate? Were they mundane before the blasts? What imbued them with power?

3) Describe some of the ways that these miraculous powers affect the plot of the novel. Explain situations wherein they were critical to the story. Explain other important situations where they were merely incidental, and the focus of the story is on the people and their interactions, feelings, or emotions.

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

Family is extremely important to some characters in the novel. Swan, Josh, Roland, and others come from backgrounds of broken families. They struggle to deal with their needs for companionship and company.

1) Identify the characters that struggle with family identity. Explain what problems are caused for them by this struggle.

2) Discuss some of the improvised families that form over the course of the novel. How do these social groups support their members and improve their lives?

3) Explain the importance of the theme of family to the overall message of the novel.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 910 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample