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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. Who threatens Swan and Sister for information about the location of the glass ring?

2. The woman who helps Rusty with his wounds is really ______________.

3. How does Robin help lead Sister's group to Mary's Rest?

4. The people of Mary's Rest suspect that DeLauren's face was made hideous by his Job's Mask because he performed what crime?

5. What happens when Swan touches the glass ring?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens between Swan and the evil man at the apple truck?

2. What effect does the shard from the glass ring have on Hugh?

3. Why does Robin want to see Swan?

4. What arrangements does the evil man make with the Army of Excellence?

5. What does Hugh say about the state of the western part of the United States ?

6. How does Roland feel about Macklin during the fighting with the American Allegiance and Mary's Rest?

7. How do Sister and Swan recover the glass ring?

8. Explain the interaction Swan has with the Moodys' apple tree.

9. What is the relationship between Roland and Friend?

10. What happens to Sister's group when they become lost in the forest on the way to Mary's Rest?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Roland is one of the primary antagonists of the novel. A deeply flawed child at the beginning of the story, Roland only degrades from his initial position of extreme moral deprivation. When Friend, a supernatural being of pure evil who may be an embodiment of the devil himself, encounters Roland, he describes it like looking into a mirror.

1) Explain who Roland is and how he became an important player in the post-blast world.

2) Discuss Roland's moral flaws, including their origins and impacts on him, and the lowest depths to which Roland is willing to sink.

3) Explain the ways that Roland is able to deal with the violence he causes and sees around him and how he justifies his own works. Explain how the King's Knight game plays into this belief system.

4) Explain why Roland needs a strong figure, such as Macklin or Friend, to follow.

5) Track Roland's descent throughout the novel to the point when he asks to follow Friend and is rejected.

Essay Topic 2

At the beginning of the novel, the threat of nuclear war looms over the characters. The tensions between the United States and Russia are at an all-time high, and nuclear attacks could start at any minute. The characters live in fear and don't know how to deal with the enormity of the threat.

1) Explain the diplomatic situation at the beginning of the novel that puts the United States and Russia at the brink of nuclear war.

2) Discuss some of the reactions various people have to this threat. Explain the range of reactions, and discuss how rational or reactionary these behaviors are.

3) Discuss how reasonable and believable these reactions are, and speculate as to what some other reactions might be.

Essay Topic 3

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?

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