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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 reads a Psalm at Rusty's funeral?

2. Who dies at the end of the book?

3. While her group is lost, what does Sister see in her dream walk?

4. Why doesn't Sister shoot the welcome man when she recognizes him as the evil man?

5. What happens to the fire that extends from the glass ring to Swan?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why does Robin want to see Swan?

3. What preparation does the town make to defend itself from the Army of Excellence?

4. What does Swan realize about the dead child?

5. What unusual promise does the evil man make after his struggle with Josh?

6. How has the Army of Excellence evolved since the events of Book One?

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

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

9. How is Swan trapped and then freed?

10. What thoughts haunt Roland?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the beginning of the novel, the President of the united states is obsessed with fire. He says that mankind has always been obsessed with it, and he becomes obsessed with it himself. Fire recurs throughout the novel as a powerful symbol, being particularly associated with Friend. Near the end of the novel, it is revealed that the former President intends to activate a doomsday device that melts the ice caps, which is another use of fire for destructive ends.

1) Discuss the President's interest in and obsession with fire as a symbol. Explain what causes this obsession and how it affects him after the nuclear blasts.

2) Cite examples from the book to describe how fire is associated with Friend. What theme does the author establish through the use of this association?

3) Describe other uses of fire as a symbol in the novel, including Rusty's saying of "fighting fire with fire."

4) Explain what fire is intended to represent in the novel, and how this concept stands contrary to what the protagonists are trying to achieve.

Essay Topic 2

Macklin forms the Army of Excellence in order to expand his power and satisfy the depraved urges of the Shadow Soldier for blood and destruction. The Army is relatively successful under Macklin's command. It defeats many other armies and lays waste to Mary's Rest, nearly destroying everything that Swan and the other protagonists have worked for.

1) Explain how the Army of Excellence is formed, how it is commanded, organized, and run.

2) Describe the goals of the army and how is goes about achieving them.

3) Discuss the moral character of the army as a whole. What evil or unsavory acts does it condone? In what evil acts does it engage? What is Macklin's influence on these acts?

4) Summarize the effectiveness and success of the army, citing specific examples given in the book.

Essay Topic 3

When the Job's Masks begin to form on people's faces, there is massive discrimination against the afflicted. Innocents like Swan are treated extremely poorly, and some people, like Macklin and Roland, go to great lengths to conceal their affliction. While this treatment is terrible, it is at least marginally understandable. The masks are terrible to look at, and the survivors in the post-blast world have little time for tolerance and acceptance.

1) Describe the Job's Masks and explain why people discriminate against those who carry them. Explain some common beliefs about the masks that survivors hold in the time before their true function becomes widely known.

2) Discuss the ways that various people discriminate against those afflicted with the masks, including the intense persecution that Macklin lays against them.

3) Explain the way that many of the afflicted feel about their treatment, citing specific examples from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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