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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 calls upon Ash in his apartment?

2. About what does the call concern?

3. What does Ash hear in the woods?

4. What does Stuart admit knowing about when Ash questions him?

5. Who is Stuart planning to meet?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Mona craving while pregnant, what does she fear and what does Mary Jane say about Mona's fears?

2. What does Ash ask Yuri to do and what does Ash tell Yuri he must not do?

3. What does Rowan want to know about the room where Lasher kept her and what does Mona know about the information Rowan wants?

4. Who does Yuri call in New Orleans, what does he learn and what conclusion does he draw from the information?

5. What does Ash do when he meets Stuart, how does Stuart respond and where do they go?

6. What does Yuri tell Michael and Rowan Samuel said and why is Ash in the country?

7. What are Marklin and Tommy discussing when they return to the Motherhouse, and how does Marklin feel about entering the house?

8. What does Ash say is the reason humans want to find a Taltos and what does Yuri say about someone who could bear a Taltos child?

9. Where does the woman in the Motherhouse take Ash, and what does he do there?

10. What does Mona find out at the doctor's office, and what does she want to ask Rowan about it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are a number of interesting questions raised by Taltos. Questions that Rice most likely want readers to consider and think through carefully. Discuss the following:

1. What does the term "author agenda" mean?

2. Name one idea/concept you think may have been a part of the Rice's agenda. Analyze that idea throughout the book and discuss Rice's probable agenda concerning that idea.

2. Do you think writers who have an agenda for writing should point it out in a preface?

3. How often do you think fiction is written with a clear agenda in mind by the author?

4. Research the life of Rice and see if/where her life may have influenced her writing.

Essay Topic 2

Taltos belongs to the fantasy genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the fantasy genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a fantasy and a main stream novel? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Thoroughly analyze how the setting informs the plot in Taltos.

2. Trace and analyze one major theme of Taltos. How is the theme represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

3. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of Taltos. How are the themes represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

(see the answer keys)

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